WoW:TradeSkillLink

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tradeSkillLink API Type (String)

tradeSkillLinks are returned by GetTradeSkillListLink().

Anatomy of a tradeSkillLink

|cffffd000|Htrade:27028:375:375:3111EE:xG{_yK|h[First Aid]|h|r

• "|cffffd000" - Colorizes the link (see itemLink)
• "|H" - Hyperlink introduction
• "trade:27028" - Tradeskill ID
• "375" - Current skill level
• "375" - Maximum skill level without further training
• "3111EE" - Character ID
• "xG(_yK" - Recipe list (see below)
• "|h" - Hyperlink data concluded, text follows
• "[First Aid]" - Display text
• "|h" - Hyperlink conclusion
• "|r" - Returns color to normal

Tradeskill IDs

The tradeskill ID is the same as the global spell ID for the tradeskill ability. This is the same number returned from API GetSpellLink, and can be passed to API GetSpellInfo. It seems that the ID therefore changes with the rank of the trade skill. For example, an Apprentice Alchemist will link with trade:2259 but a Grand Master will link trade:51304.

Recipe list

The recipe list portion of the tradeSkillLink is a bitset representing which recipes are available.

Example

If the recipe list portion of a tradeSkillLink is:

ZAAAAAAAgAAAAAAAgAAAAA

Then the recipe list bitset is:

100110000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001[... zeroes]

This set indicates that four (4) specific recipes are available (note that there are 5 bits; there is no information on why there is an extra bit at this time). Also note that the bitset is unique for each tradeskill; a recipe denoted by bit N in one tradeskill is not the same as a recipe denoted by bit N in another tradeskill.

The bitset is encoded into standard Base64, using the characters A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, and /. Being Base64, there are 6 bits per digit (similar to how hexadecimal has 4 bits per digit); this allows one to easily determine if a specific bit is set by looking only at a single digit in the string.

TODO: Document bitfield ordering, perhaps by looking at Maldivia's TradeLinks addon

Bit Maps

These provide bitmaps for 3.1 with all the in-game professions. (please verify these are based on standard Base64)

• Cooking

2/7///7///9////7//////////g+/B

• First Aid

8bffAA

Link Checking

• The server does a GUID check on the tradeSkillLink. As such, these links won't work cross-servers, but they do work cross-faction.
• The server checks if the character specified by the GUID actually has the tradeskill, rank doesn't matter.
• The server doesn't check between the tradeskill rank, current/max skill, and the recipe list.
• If a tradeSkillLink does not pass these checks, it'll fail silently.

Notes

• It is easy to view a tradeSkillLink in its raw form by opening a tradeskill window and running the command

/script DEFAULT_CHAT_FRAME:AddMessage(gsub(GetTradeSkillListLink(), "\124", "\124\124"))

• Maldivia's TradeLinks addon can create custom tradelinks.
• Gnomish Yellow Pages provides examples with full bitmaps, and stores data based on bitmap.