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11-21-15, 11:09 PM   #1
Wolfforcex
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Updating dead addon - Where to start....

Hi there,

I just returned to WoW after a long break, however I noticed many of my beloved addons were abandoned or hardly ever updated. No one bother to even look at them or update them....

Now I know, they belong to someone else (I messaged their Authors for permission to update them, however I never heard from them ever again). Is it possible to update them without sharing them till I receive a confirmation to share them and maintain them updated? or I shouldn't ever bother?

I am into programming and started to dig about LUA. I am familiar with other programming languages and this is my first start in LUA.

So to the real question, how do I actually update them? do I just go through each line and check if that function/string has been removed from the game or replaced with a new one? or just debug it in WoW to find out what kind of error I get and fix them?

Regards,
Wolf
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11-22-15, 02:59 AM   #2
Rilgamon
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Updating code of someone else can be a little boring.
If you plan to keep them updated anyway for yourself why not start with the most simple in your list and recreate it? This way you can get into lua quickly and the community can enjoy another choice
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11-22-15, 01:28 PM   #3
Phanx
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My first WoW/Lua project was updating an addon whose author had stopped maintaining it. I've always found it easier to learn by looking at something that already works, than to try to start from scratch with an unfamiliar subject, and "Hello World" type tutorials just make me want to quit the subject. The same applies to non-programming things as well... I couldn't build a car if my life depended on it, but I can fix the one I already have.

I'd suggest just running the addon in-game. If it works, just keep using it. If something doesn't work, there's probably an error message, which will tell you exactly what and where the error is. If you need help figuring out how to fix it, post the error message here.

As for whether or not you're allowed to post a "fan update", that depends on the addon and how it's licensed. If there's no license listed in the addon (GPL, MIT license, etc.) then it's "all rights reserved" and you're not allowed to publish updates, even if the original author has disappeared. You can fix your own copy for your own use (maybe not legally, but in reality) but that's it. In that case, if you want to share your work with the community, you'd need to write a new addon from scratch.
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11-22-15, 04:20 PM   #4
Wolfforcex
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Join Date: Oct 2013
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Sounds good, thank you so much for the advice.

I will see what I can do, can I still use some of the codes that already exist in that addon? or that isn't allowed either?

I have something working with the name I made and everything but It is easier as you said Phanx, if the codes are out there for you like an open source. I enjoy checking codes line by line to understand what they mean, instead of just randomly looking a full book and forgetting half if not all the details I studied. I am bad at remembering things :S but good in fixing things.

That addon has the same functionality of the addon I like. However I need to find a better way or making it look different or function differently but gives me the same results. I stayed up till 6am searching and building, I am really hyped for making addons and updating the ones that already there. However if updating them is a problem, I will just look away and figure something new instead.

I do not like to copy and paste, nor am I a fan of that idea. However, I am still learning and most of it seems easy I will try to be more active here and learn from you guys and others. I also noticed that most of the info that I try to search for is outdated including guides etc.

Thank you guys ones again,
Wolf
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11-22-15, 04:37 PM   #5
Phanx
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Really it depends on the actual addons in question, but in general I'd say you should:

1. Fix the existing addon for yourself first.

2. Then, once you have a reasonable idea how WoW addons work, write your own addon. Start with the most basic feature(s) and hardcode any options, then add more complex features as you go. You can add options later.

As for reusing code, again, that depends on the specific context.

It's probably fine to copy a function that scans a tooltip for text, for example -- there's really only one way to do that, so even if you write it from scratch without looking at any preexisting code, it's still going to be the same code, just with different formatting and variable names.

But it's not fine to copy the whole addon and just change the variable names and some formatting details, and in my experience, with a lot of addons, the overall program design and coding practices are so bad it's just better -- and actually easier and faster -- to just rewrite it yourself.
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WoWInterface » Developer Discussions » General Authoring Discussion » Updating dead addon - Where to start....

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