Wowpedia:Interface customization

What are AddOns?	How do I install AddOns?
AddOns are Lua/XML files that can modify the WoW User Interface.	You can install an addon by extracting its folder(s) into the addons directory: World of Warcraft\_retail_\Interface\AddOns

How do I develop AddOns?	Where can I get AddOns?
Start with Create a WoW AddOn in 15 Minutes.	They can be downloaded from CurseForge and WoWInterface or one of the addon updater clients.

Interface documentation

• API Reference

  • Global API · Lua API
    • Widget API · Widget Scripts
    • Events · CVars · API changes
  • XML overview · XML schema
  • Macro commands · Macro conditionals        

  Technical Details

  • TOC format
  • UnitId · GUID
  • Combat Log
  • UI escape sequences · Hyperlinks
  • Object security
  • Secure Execution and Tainting
    • SecureTemplates · SecureHandlers
    • About taint · How to deal with taint

  Development Resources

  • Viewing Blizzard's interface code
    • wow-ui-source
    • BlizzardInterfaceResources

  Townlong Yak

  • FrameXML · API Documentation
  • Globe · who uses that?

  WoW.tools

  • File Search · DBC Browser

  wowprogramming.com

  • Website · 2nd Edition Book

  Development Tools

  • VS Code: Lua Extension
  • VS Code: WoW API Extension
  • IntelliJ IDEA EmmyLua WoW API
  • Sublime Text WoWDevelopment
  • WeakAuras Wiki Lua Dev Environment

• Tutorials (HOWTOs)

  1. Introduction to Lua
  2. Create a WoW AddOn in 15 Minutes
  3. Ace3 for Dummies
  4. Using the BigWigs Packager with GitHub Actions

  YouTube

  Mayron: Creating WoW AddOns

  Paul Halliday: World of Warcraft AddOn Development

  AddOn Features

  • Handling events
  • Creating a slash command
  • Saving variables between game sessions
  • Using the Interface Options Addons panel
  • Using UIDropDownMenu
  • Hooking functions
  • Localizing an addon

  Developer Communities

  Discord

  • WoWUIDev
  • WoW AddOns;

  Forums

  • WoWInterface
  • r/wowaddons
  • UI and Macro forums (US)
  • UI and Macro forums (EU)

Categories

• Category:Interface customization
• Category:UI technical details
• Category:HOWTOs
• Category:API types

• Category:Development Help AddOns
• Category:AddOns
• Category:Function Libraries

Things you can help out with

• Before editing API pages, please read the relevant guidelines.
• Fill out all those red links in World of Warcraft API!   (though pick in order of likelihood of being useful). Looking at the FrameXML code to find out how the functions are being used is good way to begin. Please do not create stubs if you are not adding new and useful facts - we prefer red links over stubs with no additional information.
• Scan Category:API stubs for unfinished pages!
• Take a look in Category:Votes for deleting and look for API pages.
• Help convert old pages to the Help:API Function articles style!