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s-research skill

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This skill helps you research World of Warcraft APIs and Blizzard patterns using CLI tools, UI sources, and Ace3 guidance to accelerate addon development.

npx playbooks add skill falkicon/mechanic --skill s-research

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (4)
SKILL.md
2.3 KB
---
name: s-research
description: >
  Research WoW addon development topics using CLI tools, Blizzard UI source,
  and documentation. Covers API discovery, pattern research, and Ace3 usage.
  Use when investigating unfamiliar APIs, finding Blizzard patterns, or learning.
  Triggers: research, find, search, API, Blizzard UI, documentation, Ace3.
---

# Researching WoW APIs

Expert guidance for discovering and understanding World of Warcraft APIs and patterns.

## Related Commands

- [c-research](../../commands/c-research.md) - API research workflow

## CLI Commands (Use These First)

> **MANDATORY**: Always use CLI commands before manual exploration.

| Task | Command |
|------|---------|
| Search APIs (Offline) | `mech call api.search -i '{"query": "*Spell*"}'` |
| API Info | `mech call api.info -i '{"api_name": "C_Spell.GetSpellInfo"}'` |
| List by Namespace | `mech call api.list -i '{"namespace": "C_Spell"}'` |
| Search Icons | `mech call atlas.search -i '{"query": "sword"}'` |
| API Stats | `mech call api.stats` |

## Capabilities

1. **API Discovery** — Search 5000+ WoW APIs offline using static definitions
2. **Blizzard UI Research** — Find patterns in Blizzard's own Lua source code
3. **Ace3 Patterns** — Guidance on using common addon libraries (AceDB, AceEvent, etc.)
4. **Icon/Atlas Search** — Find UI assets and textures by name

## Routing Logic

| Request type | Load reference |
|--------------|----------------|
| Offline API lookup patterns | [references/api-research.md](references/api-research.md) |
| Blizzard UI source patterns | [references/blizzard-ui.md](references/blizzard-ui.md) |
| Ace3 library patterns | [references/ace3-patterns.md](references/ace3-patterns.md) |
| CLI Reference | [../../docs/cli-reference.md](../../docs/cli-reference.md) |

## Quick Reference

### Search WoW APIs
```bash
mech call api.search -i '{"query": "GetItem*", "namespace": "C_Item"}'
```

### Get Detailed API Info
```bash
mech call api.info -i '{"api_name": "C_Spell.GetSpellInfo"}'
```

### Search Icons
```bash
mech call atlas.search -i '{"query": "sword", "limit": 10}'
```

### Best Practices
- **Search First**: Use `api.search` before guessing API names.
- **Audit Blizzard**: Use ripgrep on local wow-ui-source to see how Blizzard uses an API.
- **Namespace Awareness**: Most modern APIs are in `C_` namespaces (e.g., `C_Timer`, `C_Spell`).

Overview

This skill helps World of Warcraft addon developers research APIs, Blizzard UI patterns, and Ace3 library usage using CLI tools and local source inspection. It centralizes offline API discovery, icon lookups, and examples from Blizzard's own Lua code. Use it to quickly identify correct API names, usage patterns, and common addon library idioms.

How this skill works

Start with the provided CLI commands to search the offline API database, fetch detailed API signatures, list APIs by namespace, or search UI assets. When deeper context is needed, inspect Blizzard UI source patterns and Ace3 examples to see real usage and edge cases. The workflow emphasizes automated CLI queries first, then manual ripgrep or source review for pattern confirmation.

When to use it

  • Investigating an unfamiliar WoW API or function name
  • Confirming parameter types, return values, and edge cases
  • Finding how Blizzard uses an API in their Lua source
  • Locating icon/atlas assets for UI elements
  • Learning common Ace3 patterns (AceDB, AceEvent, AceConfig)

Best practices

  • Always run api.search before assuming an API name or namespace
  • Prefer C_ namespaces for modern APIs and filter by namespace
  • Use api.info to get exact signatures and return/value details
  • Audit wow-ui-source with ripgrep to observe Blizzard's real usage
  • Keep CLI stats and searches reproducible (save queries for later)

Example use cases

  • Search for all Spell-related APIs: mech call api.search -i '{"query": "*Spell*"}'
  • Get exact signature for C_Spell.GetSpellInfo with api.info
  • List all APIs in a namespace to discover related functions
  • Find a sword icon by name with atlas.search for UI mockups
  • Review Ace3 examples to wire up AceDB profiles and AceEvent handlers

FAQ

Do I need network access to use this research workflow?

No. The workflow relies on an offline API database and local wow-ui-source; use the CLI commands first for offline discovery.

How do I find how Blizzard uses a specific API?

Run a ripgrep over wow-ui-source to locate real examples, and cross-reference with api.info for correct signatures.