Reduce Expansion info uniformly to 2 characters

Your Expansion info varies from 2 to 4 characters (e.g. "DF", "Cata"). It is more space-saving to have a uniform length of 2 characters. Less char salad means less masking of the item itself. This is how I'm currently using it:

diff --git a/Baganator/API/ItemButton.lua b/Baganator/API/ItemButton.lua
--- a/Baganator/API/ItemButton.lua
+++ b/Baganator/API/ItemButton.lua
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@
 local expansionIDToText = {
-  [0] = "Cla",
+  [0] = "CC",
   [1] = "BC",
-  [2] = "W",
-  [3] = "Cata",
-  [4] = "MoP",
-  [5] = "Dra",
-  [6] = "Leg",
-  [7] = "BfA",
+  [2] = "WR",
+  [3] = "CT",
+  [4] = "MP",
+  [5] = "DR",
+  [6] = "LG",
+  [7] = "BA",
   [8] = "SL",
   [9] = "DF",
 }

and it looks like this:

 
Sure, this is very opinionated, but I like it better this way.

I know that using all-caps is ortographically hilarious, since only a few of the abbreviations are true acronyms/initialisms ("BC"); some are clippings ("DR") and some are contractions ("CC"), but all-caps for all is better readable and looks more consistent (more harmonious, if you will). And let us be pragmatic here ;)

PS:

In a similar way, 2 lowercase chars instead of all caps would also be possible (as long as it is consistent): a bit less readable, but probably visually a tad more compact and less distracting from the icon. I haven't tested this though.

Assigning the same info to more than one icon corner

Example:

I currently have Expansion at the bottom right with prio 2. Quantity has prio 1 in that corner (see image). I.e.: For reagents I get the (more important) quantity, for gear I get the expansion, because quantity is always 1 and never shown.

But for reagents I have a free space on the top right, because Pet Level and Item Level don't apply to reagents. But when I select Expansion for top right with prio 3, it gets removed from bottom right (where it is wanted for gear items).

(I can't put it on the top left because it would conflict with the important reagent tier symbols.)

I should be allowed to have it at the bottom right with prio 2 and at the top right with prio 3 at the same time, since it will probably never appear twice on a given icon:

Remove the slash from pet breeds

I haven't tested this yet, but the use of breed abbreviations without the slash is not entirely uncommon, and it would save a bit of space and font clutter. The slash doesn't really add to the info or readability, since every pet has exactly one two-letter combination, which makes the info 100% unique even without the slash. (I.e. there's no such thing as "SS/H" vs. "S/SH" that would make the slash necessary).

Collision with other info texts isn't a problem for pet icons, since they only have Level and Breed (no Quantity or Expansion or Tier), but here again: one character less for the info means less obfuscation of the icon itself.

Symbols instead of strings for the binary info, and a center spot

BoE and BoE are binary types of information (boolean), and a single small symbol would suffice. (You are already doing this for Junk.)

What I’m thinking of is something like SimpleItemLevel does with its little symbols:

Of course, also a center spot in addition to the 4 corners would make sense for that.

OT: Consider extending the info display to the equipment slots (Character frame)

I know, this is not the scope of a bag addon, but the thing is this:

With the recent addition of pet levels for the on-icon text (and with Baganator’s unique features like Breed and Expansion text) Baganator makes SimpleItemLevel pretty much obsolete for the bag icons. However, I cannot stop using SimpleItemLevel, because I need the level info on the equipment slots. (Equipment slots without gear level on the icons and the flyouts is simply not usable.)

Yes, I have deactivated SimpleItemLevel’s display on in-bag icons, but extending Baganator’s info display to the equipment slots would probably allow me to unload SimpleItemLevel completely. And one addon less is always a good thing, even if an addon produces no issues and negligible additional load.

If you consider the suggestion, then also the addition of missing enchant/gems info in the future would be a thing (related to the “Symbols instead of strings” section).

PS:

Oh, I forgot SimpleItemLevel’s upgrade arrow for bag gear. Unfortunately this is a reason to keep it activated for bags also.

Praise for Baganator's on-icon info

Especially the addition of the pet breed to the on-icon text, but also the fact that you pull the expansion info from the ItemVersion addon instead of cheaply using Blizz's faulty info, are really great things (among others) that make Bagantor outstanding and unique!

Thanks for that!

Edit: Added PS to sections one and five.

Reduce Expansion info uniformly to 2 characters

Not going to reduce the characters to just 2 everywhere. As having the more characters reduces ambiguity - the 2 character versions are non-standard abbreviations. You're welcome to make a plugin addon that uses the Baganator API to do that though.

Assigning the same info to more than one icon corner

This is awkward from an implementation view, and could cause confusion if a case arises where the data does show twice. Not a priority, but technically possible with a bit of work.

Remove the slash from pet breeds

Similar to expansion this is an unusual setup for the breed specification, so won't be modifying the default display.

Symbols instead of strings for the binary info

Another user requested this and I put together a small plugin addon to do that, only does it for BoE currently.

BaganatorIconsForCorners-c8916c4.zip
(MIT license, so also available for reuse and release on Curseforge/Wago as a plugin for Baganator)

Centre spot

Not a priority.

OT: Consider extending the info display to the equipment slots (Character frame)

Adding Baganator details to the character pane is, as you said, out of scope, so won't be done.

P.S.
Generating/determining the upgrade status of an item is out of scope for Baganator, so while I'm happy to use another addon's API (eg. Pawn's) to determine whether a widget should appear I'm not happy with doing the calculations, so using another addon to calculate this will remain necessary.

Praise for Baganator's on-icon info

Thanks 😍

As having the more characters reduces ambiguity

I don't see any ambiguity (or elevated ambiguity potential) in my 2-character version. The only ambiguity I see is the "W" in your original version.

the 2 character versions are non-standard abbreviations

True. But standards sometimes need to be adapted to the situation 😇

Your abbreviations aren't all standard either, btw: "W" ≠ Wrath or WotLK; "Dra" ≠ WoD; "Cla", "Leg" --> there is no standard abbreviation.

[remove slash from breeds] Similar to expansion this is an unusual setup for the breed specification

Same here as with the standards above. And the slash is just a very arbitrary standard. A quick look at user comments on Petguide and I find tons of slash-less notations like this: "I'm using a PS Stormborne Whelpling, a level 1+, and a PB Iron Starlette." (Sure, the slash variant is also used.) So, really not "unusual".

But yes, my "more compact abbreviation" suggestions are from a purely pragmatic perspective!

You're welcome to make a plugin addon that uses the Baganator API to do that though.

I'll consider it, but at the moment it wouldn't be advantageous to encapsulate this in a separate addon, since I have other modifications in my local Baganator that can't be done via the exposed API (e.g. my modifier keys for sorting methods, that I don't want to miss), so I have to git-merge your new versions anyway. But thanks for the hint.

[same info to more than one icon corner]
could cause confusion if a case arises where the data does show twice

Well, if the user sees that the expansion is displayed twice for certain item types, he will simply disable one of the displays, or live with it if it only affects a few items, or see if he can build a more appropriate prio combination in another corner. I doubt they will be confused; the kind of user who would be confused by such a thing will probably not even touch your default corner configuration, so no conflict ;)

[upgrade status of gear] I'm not happy with doing the calculations, so using another addon to calculate this will remain necessary.

OK, thanks for the info.

[Symbols instead of strings] I put together a small plugin addon to do that, only does it for BoE currently.

Will have a look at it, thank you.

Ok. Thanks for your comments

I've removed the / from the battle pet breed ids and applied the new expansion abbreviations to the latest alphas.

I'm currently experimenting with a lowercase variant of my 2-char expansion strings:

 
It's not too shabby either, and a bit less obtrusive (?) But a bit harder to read also.

I'll leave it as the capitalised version

Yeah, I'll probably go back to the caps version. Just testing for a few hours…

Thanks for adopting some of the suggestions.

I've removed the abbreviated expansions from the default set of corner widgets. While a good idea they do require a user to know what CC means, so it feels best released as a separate plugin addon.

In the meantime added race icons to the inventory summaries (and anywhere else character names are used)

While a good idea they do require a user to know what CC means

Well, if this is the concern, then use "CL", which should be pretty obvious for 'Classic' 😉 (almost like your "Cla").

I chose "CC" only because I perceived it to be more visually different from "CT" than "CL". But it doesn't really matter.

But if you are not comfortable with my abbreviation style, no problem :) The main point of this, besides reducing clutter on the icon, was to get a more consistent display, instead of abbreviations varying from 1 caps char ("W") to 4 mixed case chars ("Cata"). But which chars you choose for the abbreviations (CL or CC, LG or LE) isn't really that important, as long as they're distinguishable.