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Macros make our lives easier, a macro is basically a small "program" designed within the limitations of the LUA available to us as users. Any kind of in-game macro is totally legal and is not considered as a cheat (unless there is a bug in a patch giving you advantages that are not usually allowed). Why do I say that all macros are legal? Because the once not legal are protected by Blizzard so if you try to run anything that would be considered as cheating it will just get blocked and you won't come any far. Sorry if I scared you, the topic is about macros right so, let's get started.

A macro can include anything of the following:


1. Any kind of / command, /say, /whisper, /rw, e.g.

2. A /script command - Note that since 2.0 we can no longer use such to calculate and cast heals by health lost, equip gear, e.g. But can still be useful, we will get to that later on. /script is basically so you can use LUA language in your macros, quite advanced for beginners but in short the game interface is build on a programming language called LUA.

3. A /console command - Not really used much, but can be used for something like changing combat log range.

Note: If you enter some text like "Hello!" without any /say or /yell, the text will be said in the last channel you were active in. If you last typed in /guild then you will say "Hello!" in the guild chat. By default it would go into /say.


• Consider checking out the list of slash commands when you are going to build your macro:
  http://www.wowwiki.com/List_of_Slash_Commands

Making a macro is quite easy, there are some few steps in the process involving picking a icon, making a name for your macro, entering the macro content and placing it on your action bar.


• 1. Type /macro in the chat, or push Esc (menu) and click "Macros" to bring up the macro dialog.


• 2. Click on "New Macro" (you can also edit a old macro by clicking it and just editing the text in the macro content box)


• 3. Make a name for your macro, can be anything but there is a character limitation so you can't make the name too long. This will be overridden by the "?" icon and "#showtooltip" if you include such in the macro content. We will get to this later on.


• 4. Pick a icon for your macro, if you want the icon to be automatically picked by /cast in the macro content, select the "?" icon.


• 5. Now enter what ever you want to get automated in the macro, and drag'n'drop it on your action bar, it get automatically saved so no need to worry about any save buttons.


Let's make an easy macro, witch involves you going to rest, have some conjured water and you would like to inform your party about this.


1. I would start the macro by picking a suited name, let's say "Mana Break".
2. Then I would pick a neat icon, but since I know I will be drinking I will leave the icon as a "?".
3. The macro content would be like this:



---

Q u o t e:
#showtooltip Conjured Glacier Water
/use Conjured Glacier Water
/p Wait a minute, need a short mana break...

---



I will break down the macro a bit for you.

#showtooltip Conjured Glacier Water


Makes the icon and tool tip to automatically change into as if you are mousing over the Conjured Glacier Water.

/use Conjured Glacier Water


This uses the item called Conjured Glacier Water. If you don't have it you won't drink, but the macro will still continue...

/p Wait a minute, need a short mana break...


This will be said in party chat (/p), just notice that even if you don't got water, or are in combat, you will still say this in party chat. To prevent thing we need a more advanced macro including more conditions.




So let's make the macro a bit more advanced:



---

Q u o t e:
#showtooltip Conjured Glacier Water
/stopmacro [combat]
/use Conjured Glacier Water
/p Wait a minute, need a short mana break...

---



So what happened, what changed? A new line was added to the macro!

/stopmacro [combat]


This line will only make the macro not continue but stop at this line if the user is in combat. If he is not in combat, then it will simply continue down, drink the water and tell your party that you are taking a break.

This is the complete list of conditionals available in the current 2.1 patch. I am sorry if I can't keep this list totally up to date after each patch, if any new conditionals gets added of course.


1. help - If it is friendly and you can cast spells on it
2. harm - If it is hostile
3. exists - If it exists
4. dead - If it's dead
5. stance:0/1/2/.../n - A stance number, when you look at the stance bar, the spell to the most left is number 1, then 2, 3, e.g.
6. stealth - Stealthed
7. modifier:shift/ctrl/alt - If the given key is been held down
8. button:1/.../5/<virtual click> - If the macro was clicked with the given mouse button
9. equipped:<item type> - If the item type is equipped. Can be inventory slot, item type or item subtype
10. channeling:<spell name> - If the spell is being channeled, or just "channeling" for any kind of channeling ability
11. actionbar:1/.../6 - If the actionbar given is active
12. pet:<pet name or type> - If the pet is summoned
13. combat - In combat
14. mounted - If mounted
15. swimming - If swimming
16. flying - If you are flying
17. flyable - If you can fly in the zone
18. indoors - If you are indoors
19. outdoors - If you are outdoors
20. party - If it is in your party
21. raid - If it is in your raid
22. group:party/raid - If it is in the group you pick, party or raid



• You can find much more information about the conditionals above on Wowwiki:
  http://www.wowwiki.com/Making_a_macro#Conditionals

/cast - Can be used to cast pet abilities/spells, not only player abilities/spells.
#showtooltip - Can be used to drag out passive abilities, such as Reincarnation to show reagents and cooldown.
/script - Can be used with LUA language (API). Check this for a list: http://www.wowwiki.com/World_of_Warcraft_API
/console - Can be used for example to extend combat log range, check this: http://www.wowwiki.com/Config.wtf_defaults (Also remember to check out the "Console variables/Complete list" link!)

/use and /userandom do exactly the same as /cast and /castrandom
/run - Alias for /script
/tar - Alias for /target
/a - Alias for /assist
/m - Alias for /macro

/equip and /use - You can use slot id to equip or use items in certain slots, or use certain slots without being item name depended. An example is /equip 14 <trinket name> would make you equip that trinket in First Trinket Slot (and not First). Using /use 13 would make you use the First Trinket that is equipped, again in depended of a name, great if you change trinkets all the time.


• Inventory slot id's for /equip and /use:
  http://www.wowwiki.com/InventorySlotId

• The best place to find information related with Macros is Wowwiki:
  http://www.wowwiki.com/Macro



• The basics of macros, conditionals and other macro related things can be found here:
  http://www.wowwiki.com/Making_a_macro



• Some useful macros (general things like mounting, heartstone, e.g.):
  http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros



• Class macros can be found here:
  Druid: http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros/Druid
  Hunter: http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros/Hunter
  Mage: http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros/Mage
  Paladin: http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros/Paladin
  Priest: http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros/Priest
  Rogue: http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros/Rogue
  Shaman: http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros/Shaman
  Warlock: http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros/Warlock
  Warrior: http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros/Warrior



• Other forum threads:
  1. http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=83118355&sid=1 by Bitten.
  2. http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=4357487366&sid=1 by Zeph, Compressing macros.
  

[ Post edited by Zuo ]