AddOn Studio for World of Warcraft history

Release notes and history for AddOn Studio for World of Warcraft. Home and Download: AddOn Studio 2010 for WoW, AddOn Studio 2015 for WoW or AddOn Studio 2022 for WoW. Twitter: @AddonStudioWoW. Getting stated: AddOn Studio for WoW documentation. Support: Issue Tracker.

Check AddOn Studio Discord for support and more up to date and detailed release notes.

Latest changes for AddOn Studio for World of Warcraft

240202.0 (2/02/2024)

AddOn Studio 2022 (7.0)

Archived full note from approximately Feb:

Important Note: The Visual Studio 2022 17.8.x versions do not work due to issues/bugs in the Visual Studio core editor. You will need to roll-back to a previous VS 17.7.x version in the Visual Studio Installer if VS is already installed and you upgraded, or update to Visual Studio 17.9 release/preview or newer.

220514.0 (5/14/2022)

These notes include changes for AddOn Studio 2010, 2015 and 2022 for World of Warcraft.

AddOn Studio 2010 (3.0)

• Will be the last release of AddOn Studio to support Windows XP. Future releases will support mimimum of Windows 7 SP1, same as currently for AddOn Studio 2015.

220325.0 (3/25/2022)

These notes include changes for AddOn Studio 2010, 2015 and 2022 for World of Warcraft.

AddOn Studio 2010 (3.0)

• Will be the last release of AddOn Studio 2010 to support Visual Studio 2010, the or 2010 IsoShell, without SP1. All versions after this, will require SP1 in addition. Previous, installing VS 2010 SP1 was required for opening AddOn Studio 2015 projects in AddOn Studio 2010, and for a few features in the designer.

Release Next (mid 2021)

for 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0

These notes include changes for both AddOn Studio 2010, 2015, 2017, and 2019 for World of Warcraft.

This is the new edition release with support for two new editions of Visual Studio, with fixes for critical issues and other changes to support the future stable 9.x WoW release. As always please feel free to use the support site and discord, or even send an email, if something doesn't seem right or there's something you'd like better.

6.0 (2019)

Will be released on VS 16.8 or higher platform. A few highlights, which also includes all the highlights of the 2017 edition.

Editor:

• Scroll bar maps - mini maps for code embedded in the scroll bar. Will work with colorization with Lua and other AddOn Studio types that already support colorization.

Other:

5.0 (2017)

Will be released on VS 16.8 or higher platform. A few highlights, which also includes all the current features of the 2015 edition.

File Types:

• .md file colorization - useful for projects that like to use .md style readme's, especially projects that also live in a git or other SCC online platform, like GitHub etc...

Other:

Release Next (early 2021)

for 3.0 and 4.0

These notes include changes for both AddOn Studio 2010 and 2015 for World of Warcraft.

This is the post 9.0.1 release with fixes for critical issues and other changes to support the new WoW releases. As always please feel free to use the support site and discord, or even send an email, if something doesn't seem right or there's something you'd like better.

UI Designer:

• Frame Backdrop - Add 9.0.1 style backdrops now found in WoW retail. Keep classic style code so that the new project example works in both retail and classic. Updates made for the Menu > File > New 'Basic Addon' new project template and 'Frame' new item template, and the Toolbox UI Designer widgets: 'ColorSelect', 'Frame', 'MessageFrame', 'PlayerModel', 'ScrollFrame', and 'SimpleHTML'. (fixed in 210131.0)
  1. UI Designer Toolbox widget 'ScrollFrame' at this moment would now have OnLoad fail for the ScrollFrame, as Backdrop template would clobber UIPanelScrollFrameTemplate OnLoad using single frame. Will have to add inner frame for scroll.
  2. Need to fix UI Designer actions that revolve around backdrops

Project system:

Startup:

• Poorly named file - The 'AddonStudioSetup' internal helper executable has been renamed to 'Update', as some users naturally assumed it was an installer they needed to run, and were frustrated when it appeared to do nothing. This file is a helper used internally by AddOn Studio itself as part of an automated initial configuration process, and does nothing when run alone. Users should always just run 'WowAddonStudio.exe' to start AddOn Studio as illustrated in the regular instructions, even the first time. (fixed in 210131.0)

Other:

210131.0 (1/31/2021) beta

Frame:

Toolbox templates:

• add new 9.0 style backdrop to SimpleHTML, PlayerModel, MessageFrame, Frame, and ColorSelect templates
• remove all backdrops from ScrollFrame. Adding new style backdrop BackdropTemplate would cause immediate OnLoad OnResize conflicts with UIPanelScrollFrameTemplate, and backdrop is always inside the scroll frame anyway and probably not a good starter element.

BasicFrameTemplate (classic):

• texture: in classic in designer the top left right and bottom borders not render correctly, is tile function issue

Button:

• textures: does render need to reset texture to Artwork since its default is Artwork and cant live in a layer?
• textures: should Level and SubLevel get filtered not browsable dynamically since they cant be set on XML ever. resolution: no, still need ability to pick which actual xml layer the reside in

backdrop (classic):

• background: when tile set not clipping texture at edge, instead is resizing to fit remaining space at end. resolution: now doing texture sub sections right and bottom
• background: texture seems to render one pixel too far left and right. resolution: for some reason was backwards rendering edges first then backdrop, the size of backdrop was correct.
• background: client does not currently actually vertically tile, only horizontal top tile row with second tile row stretched to bottom. resolution: now render first row and stretch second row
• background: non-tiled background are ghosting right and bottom edges when stretched. resolution: workaround gdiplus bug not clamping right and bottom

editor dialog:

• image and font picker: set focus to tree on load instead of ok, so the selected tree item starts with more pronounced highlight. resolution: fixed tab stop order.
• font picker: tree nodes show bitmap icon instead of font icon
• all: for preview add same background options as texture editor dialog: white, grey, checkered
• all: add stats and all features texture to to all preview dialogs
• image and font picker: tree node icons to follow theme style icons
• theme: editor dialogs to follow basic theme colors

bugs:

• missing intrinsicOrder attribute in serialization Script in read and write xml

designer properties:

• Layer: Reset right-click unavailable
• SubLayer: Reset right-click unavailable
• LayerFrame: changing Level or SubLevel seems to have transaction issues where ctrl-z removes the item instead of gong back to real previous state. resolution: removed multiple events firing when level property changing, ui and frame no longer own firing changed events on container add remove.
• SubLevel: not accessible in control properties
• Texture: Backdrop Tile not show Reset. resolution: now can click reset if not false
• non-bag properties don't work with property manager Reset. resolution: new NoBag attribute to let CanReset use normal behaviour

layer levels:

• SubLevel: not used in designer render order. resolution: now accounted for and drawn in correct order.
• SubLevel: should have sanity check in renderer for range and ignore rendering in same way wow does or doesnt. resolution: client allows values outside the -8 to 7. render now draws outside range clamped as one past normal range
• FontString: needs to always render over textures at same level. right now seems to be hacked with setting fontstrings default always overlay

old issues:

• SimpleHTML properties: three FontString header attributes not marked as category 'appearance' to go with FontString in properties
• SimpleHTML properties: font attribute not loading font lookup list

check:

• LayerFrame: temp 'level' value not getting cleared moved to Ui. resolution: not want to clear. may get moved right back into another or same frame
• SubLevel: check too high or too low behavior in client. found: client accepts out of range values and rendered in the out of range order. the real range is much higher

Common:

theme:

• tree view: in dark modes, highlight color of text is black instead of white on a dark highlight color.
• tree view: in dark modes, open close sub-tree glyphs still light mode style and colors
• grid view: allow all base colors to be changed dynamically
• grid view: fix accordion open close glyphs from system glyphs to use same + - glyphs as base vs shell
• grid view: rework toolbar buttons to use vs shell mechanisms for icon load and theme colorization
• theme color: add 3 new shell colors to theme cache
• theme icon: add ability to use any available vs shell mechanism to load modern icons

controls:

• tree view: enter key on folder node not open parent node.
• tree view: remove pre-vista fixups and enhancements from all builds

Project:

templates:

• simplify xml in new files and projects for offset, size, tilesize, edgesize, as more of the default client code now uses simpler xml forms
• add new 9.0 style backdrop to Basic Addon and Frame file and project templates

Shell:

configuration:

• change AddOnStudioSetup.exe to Update.exe to avoid users trying to run "Setup". addon studio self configures automatically
• fix bug for future editions 5.0 and 6.0 being able to create correct reg keys. resolution: was open*() should have been create*() which also wasn't properly finished yet.

system:

• update manifest to properly make accessible newest windows api and version visibility support from 8.0 to 10

70707.0 (7/07/2017)

These notes include changes for both AddOn Studio 2010 and 2015 for World of Warcraft.

This is the post 7.2.0 and 7.2.5 release with fixes for many critical issues, and other changes to support the new WoW releases. This version also includes lots of rework to support common code for the future AddOn Studio for WildStar versions, yep not kidding :). With that, many many parts of AddOn Studio have been reworked and as a consequence have been heavily re-tested and fixed-up a great deal. As always, please feel free to use the support site, or even send an email, if something doesn't seem right, or there's something you'd like better.

Project system:

• Import has been reworked with many fixes all around.
• Project Property Pages have been heavily reworked. Additionally they now are able to correctly recognize and maintain proper line order for special curse commands like conditional library includes used by the curse packager.
• Many other changes to major project related components ...

Other systems:

• Much more... will add more changes as time permits.

Special Thanks:

• Thanks to those who have helped report and work through issues and provided feedback over the years, and for the encouragement. :)
• A special thanks to SniffingPickles, for help in working through the recent "crash on new project" issue that many were having where I couldn't recreate the issue myself, who provided excellent and responsive feedback over the course of a several days, allowing for today's release.

70117.0 (1/17/2017)

First release of AddOn Studio 2015 for World of Warcraft (4.0.x.x for 2015 version)

4.0 (2015)

General:

• Can be installed and run on the same machine, or at same time, as AddOn Studio 2010 for WoW.
• Includes all of the same features as 'AS 2010 for WoW', where both version have exact feature parity for AddOn Studio for WoW features, and all major features related to WoW and Lua work exactly the same.
• Is intended continue to be inter-changeable with AS 2010 for WoW, where users can choose the version they want to use based on needs and platform choice. This includes ability to load the same projects and other files.

Differences:

• AS 2015 for WoW is based on Visual Studio 2015 and includes all of the general updated features of the base shell, base editors, tool windows, and so on.
• AS 2015 for WoW will only include the Web project features (useful for seeing a flat view of the WoW Toolkits or WoW exported UI files) only if they are installed with the VS 2105 CE install, which they are by default. However, the html and xml editors are part of the default editors and will be available regardless.
• Windows XP is no longer a supported platform on AS 2015 for WoW, as support for XP was dropped for VS versions after VS 2010.
• The current VS 2015 CE prerequisite for AS 2015 for WoW is much, much larger, than the Isolated Shell AS 2010 for WoW. The Isolated Shell for 2015 is fairly anemic and not been updated by MS to support Update 3 and uses an outdated set of files that currently makes it unusable so far as a dependency for AS 2015 for WoW. Work will continue to try to use Isolated Shell, or some kind of automated install of CE with a set of features that is much smaller. Don't try to remove features on CE install as there are none exposed in the MS Installer UI to remove. :P

Notes:

• 2015 versions will be 4.0.x.x, where 2010 versions will continue to be 3.0.x.x. Version numbers that otherwise match are identical for AddOn Studio for WoW features. Normally 2010 and 2015 version will be released and announced near to at the same time.
• The deployable root folder in the .zip and .7z files for this version is 'aswow2015' to disambiguate other side-by-side versions. This folder should simply be replaced when upgrading to new versions AddOn Studio 2015 for WoW, and is the new default deploy folder name. As always, the actual root folder can be named whatever someone wants as is a portable install.

3.0 (2010)

Note: Releases for AddOn Studio 2010 for World of Warcraft will continue to use 3.0.xxxxx.x versioning scheme. Releases for AddOn Studio 2015 for World of Warcraft will versioned as 4.0.xxxxx.x, starting with 4 as the major version number. For this first release the 2015 version will have it's own release notes, see above.

Designer:

• New game patch support for 7.1.0.
• Updated and working CASC support, broken since release of 7.1.
• Added support for Font Families (from 6.0), so fonts finally show again. :)
• Fixed texture and font pickers to show UI assets again.
• Textures now support and display 6.0 desaturate option, and other texture updates.

Project:

• Major update SVN support for Subversion 2.6
• Fixed AddOn Import to set default target to solution folder, or project directories if no solution yet.
• Fixed some of Button descriptions in add/remove commands from id names.

Runtime:

• Added 'Lua Console' button to regular View menu to make it easier to find.
• Fixed WoWBench to load correctly if spaces in project path.
• Fixed WoWBench to load Frames some of the new 6.0 and 7.0 types and options.
• Console tools window now first appears in same lower tool windows section as output and error.

General:

• General major build and code rework for better platform support, and more stability.
• Improved initial auto setup mechanism or when running 'reset.cmd' (as Administrator).
• Lots of validation and bug fixes for current versions of Windows 10.
• Much much more.

Notes:

• The deployable root folder in the .zip and .7z files has changed from 'aswow' to 'aswow2010' to disambiguate possible future side-by-side versions. This new folder should simply replace any 'aswow' folders for upgrading AddOn Studio 2010 for WoW, and is the new default deploy folder name. As always, the actual root folder can be named whatever someone wants as is a portable install.

40422.0 (4/22/2014)

Project:

• Moderate SVN update.

31231.0 (12/31/2013)

Designer:

• New full game patch support, with options for last patch.
• New support for TGA image format.
• General texture and font picker dialog rework, and double-click texture to open preview.
• Texture preview allows white, gray, checkered backgrounds, configurable, with display size.
• Fixed many-many bugs and added general updates for MoP through 5.4.

Project:

• Major update SVN support for Subversion 1.8
• Fixed source control icons updating correctly for dependent nodes, and others.
• Rework file/folder 'node properties' properties
• Fix 'property pages' dialog visuals and window expand working correctly.
• Fixed many bugs and added general updates for MoP through 5.4.

Runtime:

• Fixed WoWBench not able to run 'luac'
• Fixed not loading some dependencies from correct location, loading as sub of AddOn.

General:

• General tools>options dialogs rework and updates
• Much much more.

30620.0 (6/20/2013)

FrameXML:

• Added basic Lua reference support (parentKey/relativeKey) for anchors.
• Updated FrameXML.xsd
• Fixed many-many bugs and added general updates for MoP through 5.3.

Project:

• Improved import handling including being able to import 'in place'.
• Fixed bugs with Include/Exclude project items.
• Fixed many bugs and added general updates for MoP through 5.3.

General:

• Much more.

Notes:

• This includes everything that was in the past Betas.
• Will add more comments here; but there was a ton changed and added, far more than noted here, between last release notes and now.

30316.0 (3/16/2013) beta

With this version the only difference between beta, 3.0.30316.0, and the current release, 3.0.30315.0, is that the beta contains the unfinished "Lua based reference relative layout" semantics. This way the current release version has all the current features and fixes, except this one.

Frame Designer:

• Same as 3.0.30228.

30228.0 (2/28/2013) beta

Release of Mists and the 5.0.4 caused rework to support the new runtime Lua based reference layout semantics; this is because basically the main FrameXML button template was replaced with the Lua reference one using causing the buttons to render incorrectly in the designer. There were distractions making updates for WowWiki, computer death issues, chasing down Frame and Lua scalability and load improvements, Flu, and lack of focus for about a month and half quitting smoking. Basically too many large efforts and too many shifting requirements and outside issues, and there are a ton of things made better, backed-up behind an old feature parity (Lua based layout references) issue that became pervasive in Mists.

Frame Designer:

• Relative position back and forward reference cache does not yet account for proper cleanup of Lua reference style layout references. This causes possible stability issues.
• Lua relative references in the style of the new WoW template will render button text under the layers due to WoW hacks for render order in buttons not yet mirrored in AoS.

20513.0 (5/13/2012)

Lua Editor:

• Fix for rare editor freezing on incomplete Lua return statement.
• Fix for IntelliSense word completion error, on enter key if already matching but not selected.
• Fix for regression where function completion tooltips not showing.
• Performance and stability improvements in Lua parser.

FrameXML:

• Fix for ToolBox not working on Windows XP after AddOn Studio update
• Fix for crashing on unregistered WoW install

Project:

• Updated repository support
• Minor fixes for project load and unload

General:

• New AddOn Studio option for custom WoW install location
• Tutorial file size cleanup
• General performance improvements

Notes:

• The new custom WoW install location option is important for those with both Trial and Retail installs as the content *is* different, or for testing Preview and Current versions, etc... The old behavior was for AddOn Studio to use the wow registry entry to automatically locate and use wow for content, with no way to disable or change this behavior. The Custom Deploy Location setting still allows to deployment to a different base install location, even if the new wow location option is set. The Custom ToolKit Location option still allows the addition of a blizzard toolkit content location, searched before the base wow location. The custom deploy location is no longer a part of the compound search path, as the base wow install path can be changed, and could otherwise make for a confusing and fickle content set when editing for some workflows. These more flexible options also allow for the possibility of deploying to another machine running wow for testing without the cost of pulling content for editing over the wire, or conversely using a shared networked toolkit and base install with a local deploy for functional testing, or testing/content location to/from another platform like OSX or other VMs, and so on...
• Version 20513 is the first version to fully support complex, large scale, professional level, multi system, multi platform, and multi user workflows, with remote, group, and IDE automation support, via file system and / or source control system.

20413.0 (4/13/2012)

Project:

• Minor update for AnkhSVN integration.
• Download/create project from SVN repository

General:

• Import cleanup
• Minor fixes to Lua documentation

20219.0 (2/19/2012)

Project:

• Update to AnkhSVN 2.3 from 2.1 (where 2.3 is the one supporting the new SVN working copy format).

FrameXML:

• Fix for WoW content bug, where 'center' was used on 'AlignV' attribute in one of the WoW 4.3 frames.
• Fix for WoW content MPQ format changes and new wow loader ~4.3.

10817.0 (8/17/2011)

Project:

• Cosmetic issues with project properties UI.

Lua Editor:

• Performance improvements for IntelliSense and general Lua parsing.
• Fixed regression introduced in 3.0.10804.0 for Lua documentation table lookups for IntelliSense

FrameXML:

• Force XML population of Slider 'MinValue' when '0'; support unusual case for 'min' and 'max' having no default value in WoW.

10804.0 (8/04/2011)

Project:

• Performance improvements.
• Renaming folders containing files that start with '.' like '.pkginfo'.

Lua Editor:

• Modern fully-featured block and line comment and uncomment
• Modern fully-featured auto indent
• Whole doc and selection auto-formatting
• Run code (right-click context menu launches selection in Lua console)
• IntelliSense now follows the whole Curse style (and normal) toc, include and source dependencies properly
• IntelliSense and parser now follows "x = x or { ... }" assuming 'x' is a table
• Table declarations now provide proper IntelliSense completion lists down any number of levels
• Field and other declarations will show original declaration value in IntelliSense as constant literal value
• Automatic cross file and project IntelliSense
• Proper handling of much more difficult Lua language cases for IntelliSense
• Much more...

Lua Console:

• Newly modernized, integrated Lua (and Windows Command Console) 'immediate' window
• Now with Lua 5.1.2 (with WoW extensions and compatible compilation)
• Command-line history, full window copy paste, "run code" support, etc...
• Easy console session switching and restart, and persistent sessions across hiding/showing the window.

WowBench:

• WowBench Reloaded (yes, not kidding... really)
• Supports both 4.x and 3.0.3+ toolkit and code bases.
• Project and context aware sessions, loading the currently active AddOn project
• Retains old style event feedback and all of the old wonderful test bench environment
• "Lint" like warnings and errors when processing XML and Lua code, and with full Lua compiler error and warning feedback.
• One button, context aware, session rebuilds and restarts
• Much much more...

10617.0 (6/17/2011)

Project:

• More performance improvements.
• Project properties stabalized much more over v1 and v2.

Lua Editor:

• Lua console working again mostly, including partially working wowbench
• Console window direct access from Debug > Windows menu
• Wowbench contextual start from context menu in lua editor Right-click > Run Code.

10611.0 (6/11/2011)

Project:

• General performance and stability improvements.

Lua Editor:

• improved support for non-WoW and non-Game specific Lua APIs, such as Corona
• improved editor resposiveness
• improved file locking symentics with additional performance and should now play better with external tools

IntelliSense:

• Revamped IntelliSense code sense and documentation, and much more complete and correct Descriptions
• API documentation details and remarks shown inline with IntelliSense descriptions.
• Now tracks correctly for globals across WoW <script> includes in XML
• Improved scope awareness for description types.

10603.0 (6/03/2011)

FrameXML:

• fixed newline issues for inline code blocks for event tooltip editor and mini editor
• event code editor now preserves and formats inline blocks correctly
• new line, whitespace and indentation for inline code blocks are now preserved serializing and deserializing xml

10601.0 (6/01/2011)

Lua Editor:

• performance improvements for IntelliSense lookup times, fewer editor pauses
• partially added docs for table, bit, string, etc....
• improved summary for function signatures

Contact

celess22@gmail.com

See also

• AddOn Studio for World of Warcraft
• AddOn Studio for World of Warcraft documentation
• AddOn Studio 2022 for World of Warcraft
• AddOn Studio 2015 for World of Warcraft
• AddOn Studio 2010 for World of Warcraft