DevTool is a multipurpose tool to assist with World of Warcraft addon development. The core functionality is similar to a debugger, and it is capable of visualizing and inspecting tables, events, and function calls at runtime.

This addon can help new and veteran developers alike by providing a visual representation of their tables and structures. Examining the WoW API or your addon's variables in a table-like, columnar interface is much easier than using print(), /dump, or other chat debugging methods.

While DevTool is fully capable of being used solely from its graphical interface, it also provides a simple API for incorporation into your codebase directly. Use of this API will result in adding elements directly into the DevTool interface for inspection.

The main (and only) public function provided by DevTool is AddData(data, <some string name>)

• This function adds data to the list so that you can explore its values in interface list.
• The 1st parameter is the object you wish to inspect.
  • Note, the default behavior is to shallow copy.
• The 2nd parameter is the name string to show in interface to identify your object.
  • Note, if no name is provided, we will auto-generate one for you.

Let's suppose you have the following code in your addon...

local var = {}
--<some code here that adds data to 'var'>
DevTool:AddData(var, "My local var")

...this code will add var as a new row in the DevTool user interface with the label "My local var".

Here is a simple implementation that wraps DevTool:AddData() and checks for the DEBUG flag to be set:

function ExampleAddon:AddToInspector(data, strName)
	if DevTool and self.DEBUG then
		DevTool:AddData(data, strName)
	end
end

Using the above code as an example, we can then apply our new function all over the addon codebase wherever inspection is needed:

ExampleAddon:AddToInspector(ExampleObject, "ExampleObjectName")

There are three tabs in sidebar, and the text field has different behaviors for each.

• History tab:
  • This text field takes the fully qualified name of a table, relative to _G. Likewise, entering <fully_qualified_name> into the DevTool text field is the same as typing /dev <name> <parent> in the chat window.
• Events tab:
  • This text field can only use <event> or <event> <unit>. Likewise, the same can be done in the chat window by typing /dev eventadd <event> or /dev eventadd <event> <unit>, where <event> is a Blizzard API event string and <unit> is the cooresponding unit string.
• Fn Call Log tab:
  • You can enter <function> <parent> into the text field, and it will try to find _G.<parent>.<function>. Likewise, the same can be done in the chat window by typeing /dev logfn <function> <parent>

You can specify coma separated arguments that will be passed to any function DevTool attempts to execute. The values can be in the form of a string, number, nil, boolean, and/or table.

• Note, to pass a value with type table you have to specify prefix t=.
• Note, to pass the parent table, specify t=self.
• Note, DevTool will automatically try passing self as first arg, if the function throws an error.

Example passing arguments to a function SomeFunction:

• FN Call Args: t=MyObject, 12, a12 becomes SomeFunction(_G.MyObject, 12, a12)
• FN Call Args: t=self, 12, a12 becomes SomeObject:SomeFunction(12, a12)
• FN Call Args: t=MyObject.Frame1.Frame2 becomes SomeFunction(_G.MyObject.Frame1.Frame2)

• /dev - toggles the main UI window
• /dev help - Lists help actions in the chat window
• /dev <command> - Will execute one of the commands listed in the help menu

• Clicking on a table name will expand and show its children.
• Clicking on a function name will try to execute the function. WARNING: BE CAREFUL.
  • Note: This will make use of any function arguments set, as described above.
• If a table has WoW API GetObjectType() then its type will be visible in the value column.
• DevTool can monitor WoW API events similar to that of /etrace, we also include a button to launch /etrace if you would rather use the built in tool instead.
• DevTool can log function calls, their input args, and return values.
  • Note: Strings in the 'value' column have no line breaks

• Report Bugs and Request Features
• Source Code

Making add-ons is a lot of work! Your help goes a huge way to making my add-on work possible. If you would like to Donate, GitHub Sponsors is the preferred method.

DevTool is a continuation of the amazing ViragDevTool addon started by Varren/Virag for World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth and prior. All credit for the idea and the work done prior to 2021 should go to him, accordingly.