Eluna Typescript Module (ETS-Cli)

Summary

This is a cli tool that uses TypeScript definitions in combination with TypeScriptToLua scripts for use with a WoW Azerothcore server running Eluna Mod. This enables developer that are familiar with TypeScript to develop custom scripts that are then converted into lua scripts by TypeScriptToLua package. The goal is to make it easy to create custom content or augment existing content to fit the needs of your server and players without the requirement of learning Lua.

I have ported multiple declartions files into one defintion this repo relies on and updated declarations to incorporate new Eluna releases and fixes for broken declarations. If you encounter a bug or an issue, use the GitHub issues or ping me in the azerothdiscord channel. @volek.

The following declarations are included:

• Eluna Azerothcore
• WoW API
• AIO (Rochet2)

ETS Module Registry

There is now some public modules from our server posted and looking for new contributors to create more!

ETS Modules Registry

Creating a new module

---

Follow these instructions to create your first ets module.

Dependencies

• NodeJS 18+
• MacOS and Ubuntu compatible (Not tested for Windows builds, maybe WSL?)

Creating your first ets module

Initialize a typical node typescript project as you normally would

mkdir my-module
cd my-module
npm init

Install the ets package and use the cli to initialize your module.

npm i wow-eluna-ts-module
npx ets init -x

This does the following:

• Creates a ets.env - environment variables (you really shouldn't need to changes thse for small builds)
• Creates a tsconfig.json - Flavor how you like your environments to go, just make sure to leave references to types from the base project and TSTL parameters.
• Creates a sample "Hello World!" module, which is amazingly useful. I know.

Note

IF you do not want the example module just exclude the -x argument.

Modules by default are loaded from modules directory, ./modules. Any directory structure under the modules directory will be maintained in the converted lua output. So you can structure them however makes sense for your code maintance.

I personall like the practice of using item/event, action you are impacting, by hey you do you. If you have no imagination, a few examples are below:

-modules
--| onstart-death-wind.ts    // Global Events at top level, ie Server Start kill all vendors in Stormwind. 
--| game-events
----| looty-tuesday.ts       // Events you may target as an in game event
--| items
----| the-ass-sassinator.ts  // The axe to kill your friends and steal their stuff. 
--| player
----| screw-bob.ts           // Fun player event that resets money on level if your name happens to be bob. 

Build your module

When have completed building your first original module, you will need to run a build to convert the TypeScript code into lua the Eluna Module system will read. However, building modules are easy and even have a help command! So do not worry cupcake I got ya covered.

npx ets build 

This will transpile the modules you have in modules into the dist directory, by default. Well that is great, but annoying when you are actually working something right? Who has time and energy to go find a terminal and run a build every time you change the code. Which you better be doing ofter or you are not doing it right.

Instead you can use the handy -- watch option to make it auto-build for you on change.

npx ets build -w

There we go now, now you can see your builds magically giving you errors and new versions of the lua files everytime you save. Course... now I still have to type .reload eluna in my pesky terminal.

Deploying your Module

I recently added the ability to make it easier to deploy modules to servers via SSH. This does require you have some knowledge on SSH works and making sure your server accepts SSH connections. The cli supports two environments a dev and prod environment. This is typical of most development to have a place to test if you are running remote dev and production servers. If you are running locally, I would recommend just adding a bash cp -r dist.* azerothcore/scipts/ to an alias or something to make it easier to test.

The environment variables are found in ets.env for each environment. After setting these up you can use the deploy command to deploy changes as needed.

Production Deployment

npx ets deploy -e prod

Development Deployment

npx ets deploy -e dev

The details of the cli options and settings cabn be found below.

Anatomy of a module

The individual scripts themselves breakdown into a few key components:

• Event Handlers
• Event Registers
• Objects that contain game information

A typical module structure should look like this:

/**
* Module Purpose
* @author
* @date
*/ 

/**
* Configuration
*/
const CONFIG_OPTION: string = "DefaultConfig"
 
/**
* Event Handlers
*/
const OnCommand: player_event_on_command = ( event: number, player: Player, command: string ) {
  // your code on that action
}

/**
* Event Registers
* EventHooks: https://www.azerothcore.org/pages/eluna/?search=Register
*/ 
RegisterPlayerEvent(PlayerEvents.PLAYER_EVENT_ON_COMMAND, (...args) => onCommand(...args)); 

Any modules you create should be added to the index.ts without the extenstion. It is also possible to create shared classes that can be used in many modules. You should create these as classes and import as you normally would. There are some caveats to TypescriptToLua that can be hang-ups in the lua conversion process, so I recommend you keep the complexity of imports and classes simple functions and types.

Environment Settings Configuration

---

After you run ets init it will create an env.ets file the following options are set:

Build Configuration	Description
ETS_BUILD_ROOT	The root directory of where new modules and common functions will be saved. Defaults to './dist'
ETS_MODULE_DIR	Where individual modules will be transpiled to. Defaults to 'module'
ETS_COMMON_DIR	Where common functions will be transpiled when npx ets libs is run. Defaults to 'common'
ETS_MODULES_TS_DIR	The root directory of where TypeScript modules are created. Defaults to 'modules'

Deployment Configuration You can now use ETS command line to deploy the built modules. The following configurations options are needed to send SCP commands to the server running your server.

Deploy Configuration	Description
DEV_HOST	Host address where to connecto scp files. IF localhost or 127.0.0.1 is set, then it will instead perform a normal cp to the local filesystem
DEV_PATH	Where on the server the files will be copied to.
DEV_USER	SCP user to login to the server with
DEV_PASS	SCP user password to login to the server with
DEV_PORT	Port to use when authenticating with the server, if not set defaults to 22
DEV_PRIVATE_KEY	Path to a private key that is used to connect to the remote host.
DEV_PRIVATE_KEY_PASS	PAssphrase used with the private key to connect to the remote host

All the settings above are duplicated for a production environment by substituting PROD_ instead of DEV_. These are already defined in your default ets.env

ETS Client

Commands to use the ETS client

---

Command	Description
npx ets init	Initializes new a project as a ets module with. Options: -x, --example : Creates Hello World example if modules directory is not created.
npx ets libs	Create shared functions that can be used with modules. Carry over from eluna-ts
npx ets build	Transpiles the typescript modules into the build dir. Options: -d, --luadir : Override the default root build directory -m, --module : Override the name of the directory where build will transpiled modules to. -w, --watch : Enable watch process to automatically build when TypeScrip code changes. -l, -live-reload : Enables automatic eluna reloading if running a local docker build of Azeroth Core.
npx ets deploy	Deploys your modules to a remote host or local host dependingon the configurations set. Can target a deployment environment by using -e. Options: -e, --env : Set the target environment to deploy the files to, (default: dev)
npx ets publish	Submits module(s) to registry for download to other servers and for use in CI/CD (Not yet publicly implemented)

Additional Notes

I linked the most important resources above. As this is OSS not everything that has a type actually works due to either a bug in Eluna or in the core itself.

To save you pain of finding the sharp edges yourself here are the ones I know about:

• Instance Events... yeah they don't work at all, but, ServerEvents related to Maps do, so try to get by with those. The issue is posted somewhere and I might go fix the C++ one of these days if I really need it.
• Auction House Events not really useful as you lack the ability to capture AuctionHouseMgr updates so you can not manipulate anything at least not through a clean API.
• Unique Creature Events - I really wanted this one to work as you could do some interesting things with it, but instead you need to do everything through creature events.
• Time translations - no Date Object, it doesnt work. I have a lib of a few TS translations that will polyfill some of the common needs so you can do things with Game/Server time. Will move into common libs once I have vetted them out more.

Updates

Mar 3, 2024 1.11.0

• FEATURE: Added new types from latest methods added to mod-eluna #13
• FEATURE: Added AddLoot which is undocumented on ACore eluna site
• BUG: Fixed GetPlayersInRange Methods for Creature/GameObject incorrectly returning number instead of Players array
• FEATURE: ADDED MechanicType, StatType, StatModifyTypes used in new ImmuneTo and HandlingStatModifier methods

Feb 18, 2024 1.10.0

• FEATURE: Added NPCBot commands for equipment management
• BUG: Fixed more declarations declared returning wrong type
• FEATURE: Added enums and constants in equipment and stats for NPCBots

Feb 4, 2024 1.9.0

• BUG: Rewrote AIO TSTL Plugin to use transpileFiles from transpileStrings because transpileStrings has an issue that has been submitted.

Feb 3, 2024 1.8.0

• UPDATES: More updates to TypeScript AIO Client transpile plugin

Jan 31 2024 v1.7.0

• FEATURE: Added support for imports in Typescript for AIO client code.
• FEATURE: Added new declarations related to NPCBots / Creatures
• FEATURE: Updated declaration deps for WoW Wotlk new UI functions.

Dec 21, 2023 v1.6.7

• CHORE: Removed typeroots not needed in tsconfig.module.json anymore

Dec 21, 2023 v1.6.6

• CHORE: Updated prod/dev dependencies

Dec 21, 2023 v1.6.5

• FEATURE: Updated wow-wothlk-declarations to latest version
• BUG: Fixed Gameobject hooks for on use
• BUG: Updated tsconfig strict to false from true was creating problems with CreateFrame and UI Parent for WOWAPI

Nov 30, 2023 v1.6.4

• Added some readme improvements
• Fixed major breaking bug with ets init -x

Oct 16, 2023 v1.5.0

• Feature: Adds deploy command to enable module deployment from same command. See configuration and command details below.
• Feature: Added support for AIO definitions for modules built for Rochet2 AIO
• Feature: Added wow-wotlk-declarations for references to AddOn WoWAPI commands when building AIO client side UI's

Oct 10, 2023 v1.4.0

• Bug: Fixed bug with ets build when there is not a common directory build in tstl process
• Bug: Watch is not correctly building tstl marking as not usable at the moment, will fix later.

Oct 3, 2023 v1.3.0

• New binary ets simplifies how to setup new eluna-ts modules.
• Reduces repo files and simplifies structure.
• Focus on development of modules without need of container environment.
• Fixes some of broken types I have encoutered and updates incorrect comments.
• Added hot-reload option to eluna so locally running dev server will automatically reload Eluna on build changes.
  --- THIS FEATURE ONLY WORKS ON AZEROTH CORE DOCKER BUILDS (I am bias sincerely, the Mgt)

Credits

• @Yehonal,@Helias for original code and all the types they built out
• @wartoshika for building out all the types for WoW API
• @Honey55 for allowing me to post about it in Azeroth Discord Community
• @manmadedrummer for always testing my ets modules