Alts
Overview
Alts is an addon that allows you to setup main-alt relationships and have that information displayed in various areas. It uses the LibAlts library to share data with other addons. For a list of other addons using LibAlts, see here.
Bugs/Enhancements
You can submit tickets here: https://www.wowace.com/projects/alts/issues
Features
Main/Alt information is displayed:
- When that character logs on
- When you do a /who on that character
- In unit tooltips
- From a command line interface
- From a GUI interface
Main/Alt information can be set and managed:
- By right-clicking on a unit frame
- From a command line interface
- From a GUI interface
- LDB launcher to bring up the GUI interface
- Minimap button to bring up the GUI interface
Command line options:
- alts <searchterm> - Brings up the main window. If search term is provided, it will use it to search the main-alt data.
- setmain <alt> <main> - Adds the specified alt as an alt of the specified main.
- delalt <alt> <main> - Deletes the specified alt for the specified main.
- getalts <main> - Gets the list of alts for the specified main.
- getmain <alt> - Gets the main for the specified alt.
Automated Guild Import
Alts will automatically scan the guild notes for a character who is in a guild. It the notes are in a certain format it will then store the main/alt information into a separate area from the main-alt data that a user enters. Every time the player logs onto a character in that guild, the guild main/alt data will be updated. This information is kept separate from main/alt data a user enters so it can be easily sync'd.
The following guild note formats work:
- <main name>'s alt
- Alt of <main name>
- ALT: <main name>
- AKA: <main name>
- (<main name>) Must be at the start of the note though.
- [<main name>] Must be at the start of the note though.
- <main name> alt
- <main name>
- ALT(<main name>)
The matching is not case sensitive. If a note with one of those formats is found and the main name is in the guild, then it will create a main/alt link.
The guild imported data and user-entered data are merged automatically when displayed or searched. The guild imported data cannot be modified from the user interface. The UI ignores edits to that data since all changes are performed only on user-entered data.
Guild Export
You can now export your guild roster in a comma-separated format (CSV). You can find this feature in the options under Guild.
- Fields to Export: You can choose which fields to export. The fields are in the order of the checkboxes on the export screen. The Alts field will add a field that lists all the alts for the character.
- Escape?: You can choose if the appropriate fields are escaped using double quotes. If some of the fields such as the notes have commas then you may want to try this option.
- Only Mains: This option will export all character in the roster who are not marked as an alt.
- Only Guild Alts: This option controls if the Alt field lists all alts you have defined or only alts defined by the guild notes. If you have setup alt relationships outside the guild notes and do not want them in the export, leave it checked. If you want all alts listed then uncheck it.
After you click Export, you can use Ctrl-A then Ctrl-C to copy the data in the export box to the clipboard. If you're using a Mac, use Command-A then Command-C. From the clipboard, you can paste the exported data into the target application.
Guild Log
Alts now takes a snapshot of your guild at logon and will report any changes at each logon. You can also bring up the log manually in the options menu under Guild. It does not monitor the guild roster while you are playing so it should not affect performance.
Friend/Ignore Logging
Alts also takes snapshots of your friends and ignore lists and displays any removed friends or ignores at logon. This is helpful because the default UI does not indicate names for characters that were deleted, renamed, etc. It does not monitor these lists while you are playing so it should not affect performance.
Enhancements or Bugs
If you want to report a bug or ask for an enhancement, feel free to submit a ticket:
I just thought the RealID API could be useful in aquiring ALT info. I really havent looked into but it popped in my head so I thought I'd see if you have looked into it. Thats all.
The format that we use, for a sample person named "Fred" who has a character named "Ipwn" is:
Main Fred
Alt Fred (Ipwn)
Is there anyway to get this to pick the information up correctly in your Addon? We use this format as we go by RL names, rather than character names, since there can be so many of those! lol
Thanks
The following guild note formats work:
<main name>'s alt
Alt of <main name>
ALT: <main name>
AKA: <main name>
But now it shows information even if I have things like "invited by XXXX" or Init(YYYY) it shows XXXX or YYYY as the main!
Is there something that can be done to take it back to only looking for specific instances of of Alt/Aka?
If no alts are found then I don't create data for a main. The way it is stored that doesn't even work that well. The assumption is that if no alts are found then it is just a main.
I have a partial guild export that hasn't been released. The export would list all the alts for a main as a field in the export. I'll probably release that some time soon. I've noticed a lot of people are interested in that.
As for names with funky characters, I've tested them and found them to work. Where are you trying to type it in? The command lines options don't work so well with it but the windows should.
If the word "Main" was used in the officer notes then this toon should be listed as a main even if no alts are associated with it. A list of all toons not listed as Main or Alt should be available in a drop down menu for selection when associating with mains.
One key factor for myself would be the ability to export the list of mains/alts/unknown to CSV or HTML for integration into guild website. Something like this maybe: http://sonofaliche.guildomatic.com/page/show/35865
My current system for tracking this information takes a long time to do and having this more automated would be much better. As you can see by the link, the information is never up-to-date. It takes too long.
1. Is there a way to export the info into a csv file?
2. Is there a way to modify the info below to allow for different or more variations?
The following guild note formats work:
<main name>'s alt
Alt of <main name>
ALT: <main name>
AKA: <main name>
2. I haven't added a way for a user to add new formats themselves. I can easily add a new format for you though. I'm not sure how many formats are being used across all the guilds. Is there a particular format you would like added?
I don't know if I would use that but it may be useful for people who like that. It is possible to auto-determine it and also let the user set it. It just adds that in all chat channels? I need to look into it but I don't think it would be complicated.
It's pretty much perfect for me as is now.
I'm also not using one of the multi-featured chat addons (like Prat).
Mainly using it to enhance the functionality of my own little addon GuildMemberStatus
If you're looking for suggested features, there is one thing that although not essential in any way,
might fit and pretty much complete it.
Same as how you provide feedback about player's alts that the addon knows about for the user running it
(on tooltip, who requests and everything to do with the chatframe)
you could provide a minimal Identity-like functionality for players without the addon.
Give the user the option to prepend their main name to their outgoing messages.
I'm not sure if the added complexity is worth it
(you'd have to check for the "(main)" pattern and skip adding another one for Alts users so there's no duplication)
I can add that. First one makes sense and I thought I had added that option already.
Feel free to send feedback. I'm still trying to decide what I want the addon to do. The overall goal was to track main-alt relationships but keep it fairly lightweight. I don't run the larger chat addons which tend to include this kind of functionality. I also tried to improve the guild note import over the other chat addons.
Another small request :P
In your AddMessage hook where you substitute the main's name if found
(or in the function that returns it)
could you check that the alt is not the player?
I mean I already know who the alt's - I'm currently playing - main is.
PS. An option to disable chatframe substitutions altogether would also be nice.
Thanks for reading, regardless if you decide to implement :)
Can you please
on next release so we have an easy way of bringing up the main window without an LDB display / icon?
/alts is convenient.
Nice addon btw (will also be using the library in one of my own)