Editing WoW:UI beginner's guide (section)

== Macros ==

The purpose of a [[Macro]] is to allow you to create some very simple custom actions or tasks, based on the existing game actions. A macro is just a sequence of slash commands, which are executed in order when you execute the macro. To create a new macro, either type "/macro" (without the quotes), or click on the speech bubble next to the chat box and select macro. You can then give a macro a name, an icon and type in a few lines of slash commands. The macro is created in the form of an action that you can drag onto your hotbar. You can activate the macro by clicking on the resulting button on the hotbar.

An example macro would be:

 /cast Fireball(Rank 1)
 /say "I am frying it!"

This macro merely casts a fireball, and then has your character tell everyone nearby that you're casting it.

Another example would be:

 /console farclip 177
 /cast [button:1] Hearthstone
 /stopmacro [button:1]
 /console farclip 1500

This macro sets your view distance to minimal, then if you left clicked your mouse uses your hearthstone and stops the macro, if you used anything but left click it continues into setting your view distance to furthest. The usefulness of this macro would be if your computer can handle max graphics every where but Dalaran and your hearth is set to Dalaran, if you have problems in Dalaran if you set the view distance to minimal before hearthing it allows a much quicker load time with no lag, the reason to make it so that if you don't left click it it sets your view to max is so that when you leave Dalaran you can click the same button to put your graphics back up to the good looking view.

Macros have some severe limitations, and are only intended for very very simple tasks. The most important limitation is that it is difficult to cast more than one spell at a time using a macro (although it '''is''' possible, using [[API SpellStopCasting]]). This limitation exists so that macros can't automate too much for you. You can have as many other commands within the 255 character limit as you like.

See also [http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/board.html?forumId=11114&sid=1 The Blizzard World of Warcraft UI & Macros Forum] and [[HOWTO: Make a Macro]]