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AddOn Studio 2010 Documentation
Brief set of AddOn Studio 2010 documentation and help as time permits. :) Is intended to provide filler information for those who like to read more, or those who don't necessarily have a lot of experience with some or any of these areas. Real docs one day forthcoming. Home: AddOn Studio 2010, Change History: AddOn Studio 2010 History, Support: Issue Tracker and Forums, Twitter: @AddonStudio2010
Contents |
About the IDE and AddOn Development 
Edit
An introduction.
With AddOn Studio 2010 it can be deceivingly easy to get started and see your first AddOn running in WoW within in minutes, even with no real experience. However, game development, in combination with a modern fully-featured IDE like AddOn Studio, can also be one of the most difficult and demanding things you could undertake, at least as far as technically creative endeavors go. An "IDE" is an Integrated Development Environment, where lots of tools and facilities are clustered together in one application in an attempt to make things more convenient, to save time, and help you focus more on what you are really trying to do, so the theory goes... Many times however this doesn't actually happen. The complexities of mastering the development environment can be a daunting task in itself, in addition to everything else. With all this in mind, I'm going to do my rendition of "breaking things down" for how to get started with WoW AddOn development and AddOn Studio, especially for those who aren't already "hobbyists" or professional programmers and might be just starting out, or were just curious.
Getting it running Edit
Installation and running for the first time.
The instructions on the home page are pretty much cover all the steps you need, and are hopefully very simple. Keep in mind that its as easy as coping the folder in the zip and running the executable as normal. Below looks long but this is meant to be a good bit of handholding and not a in depth technically engrossing installation section.
1. Install the free Microsoft Isolated ShellEdit
This installs a stand alone version of Visual Studio, and is free both in not costing you anything, and legally for you to download and install for your own use. Is actually very encouraged by Microsoft, who spent a good bit of time and money so you could get to do things exactly like this. The install should go without a hitch, and is fairly friendly considering its a very low volume, very developer oriented install. You won't need anything else besides AddOn Studio itself. Depending on the things you are missing, like .Net 4.0, it may have to install a lot, but its fine. No, you do not need Visual Studio itself, and installing this will not interfere with an existing Visual Studio install of any kind.
2. Install AddOn StudioEdit
AddOn Studio 2010 has a very simple install process, although it's a slightly manual process. All that's involved is downloading the .zip file from the download link, opening the zip file, and then copying the 'aswow' folder in the zip file to a folder on your hard drive. Yep that's it... that's all you have to do. I would suggest creating a folder like d:\apps and coping the 'aswow' folder into that, so that you end up with 'd:\apps\aswow', which avoids mishaps in Program Files and is a lot easier to find
This type of install is often referred to as a "Portable Install", and just runs from the files where ever they sit, and needs no installer and has no uninstaller. You are free to place the files anywhere you like, and move them at any time. You are free to have multiple copies, though I would only run one version at a time, even if you start more than one copy. You can also just delete the files anytime you want. Thus to install a new version, you can simply rename or delete the old one, and follow the install steps again. You only have to install the ISO shell, in step 1., only once ever.
3. Run AddOn StudioEdit
This will be the hardest part if you aren't used to starting programs manually, but just the first time. Just open your newly copied "aswow" folder and find "WowAddonStudio.exe", and double-click. If you found it, that's all there is to it.
However, if for some reason you see a sea of files all named WowAddonStudio with no extension except one ".exe", then you are still in the Matrix and this is because you have your Windows Explorer set to not show extensions, which is fine, and is how Windows usually comes by default. In fact, one of the files is actually named "WowAddonStudio.exe.config" and with extensions hidden will look like the right file, but its not. You can blame Microsoft VS team for that one and more so the .Net guys going way back, in sort of a probably unintentional contortionist sadistic move. :) One way to resolve all this is to disable "hide extensions for known file types", which Microsoft also saw fit to cleverly hide, especially in Windows 7 and Vista. Another way is to click on each file and look at the status bar at the bottom or look top the right if you have detail view selected which will reveal the file type. To disable the option, which is probably a good idea for doing development, do exactly this: hit "Alt" > Click "Tools" in the top menu > Click "Folder Options..." > Click the "View" tab > Find "Hide extensions for known types" about half way down the list > Un-check that option > Click "OK". Now you are free to see these files as they really are, and to realize you just took the "Red Pill", and should relax knowing you've had to do your first "unnatural act" as is common in the world of software development.
4. Make a ShortcutEdit
Yep, really going to explain this ;) Now that you have found the exe you can make an shortcut. There are tons of ways to do this. For Windows 7 and Vista proably the easiest thing to do is to just right click on the application file, the real ".exe" file, and then click either "Pin to task bar" or "Pin to startup menu". At that point you should see a pinned shortcut icon on either and you are done. On XP (or Vista or Windows 7 as an laternate way) you can, using the *right* mouse button, drag the file to the taskbar "quick lauch" menu, or the start menu or the desktop, and when you release the mouse button, select "create shortcut". And you are done :)
Getting Started in Addon Studio Edit
Hints and help for getting started.
"So I've got it running, now what? I see all the little windows and toolbars in the app, but absolutly no intuitive anything showing what I should be doing, other than the old-school File menu." If you are there.. then we are good-to-go. A few things first, and then the 60 second blitz to seeing your first addon in WoW.
Legalities Edit
For those who are Legally minded, or are otherwise concerned or interested. Reading the AddOn Policy below is strongly suggested for everyone.
- World of Warcraft - AddOn Policy
- Blizzard World of Warcraft - Terms of Use
- Blizzard BattleNet - Terms of use
- Historic "Glider" Summary Judgement
- Blizzard General Legal FAQ and Copyright Infringement Summary Reminders
Tutorial of the Day Edit
06/01/2011 - Old Russian Tutorial - but one of the best I've seen outside of WoWWiki (English Translation)
Got to love the brutal honesty in the commentary, and in the ensuing discussion about WoW in general. God save our English language. :)
08/05/2011 - AddOn in an Hour tutorial - A nice, relaxed, "finding your nose" starter tutorial, written as much more of a "how to not hang yourself getting started" blog. Recommended...
