Professions System

The professions system provides utilities for checking player profession skills and integrating profession-based requirements into nodes and rewards.

Overview

The ns.professions table contains definitions for all World of Warcraft professions, including their IDs, icons, and variant IDs for different expansions.

Available Professions

Primary Professions

ns.professions.ALCHEMY
ns.professions.BLACKSMITHING
ns.professions.ENCHANTING
ns.professions.ENGINEERING
ns.professions.HERBALISM
ns.professions.INSCRIPTION
ns.professions.JEWELCRAFTING
ns.professions.LEATHERWORKING
ns.professions.MINING
ns.professions.SKINNING
ns.professions.TAILORING

Secondary Professions

ns.professions.ARCHAEOLOGY
ns.professions.COOKING
ns.professions.FIRST_AID
ns.professions.FISHING

Profession Structure

Each profession object contains:

{
    name = 'Profession Name',
    icon = 123456, -- Texture ID
    skillID = 123, -- Primary skill ID
    variantID = {1, 2, 3} -- Expansion variant IDs (optional)
}

Example: Alchemy

ns.professions.ALCHEMY = {
    name = 'Alchemy',
    icon = 4620669,
    skillID = 171,
    variantID = {2485, 2484, 2483, 2482, 2481, 2480, 2479, 2478, 2750, 2823, 2871}
}

Profession Methods

Each profession object includes utility methods:

HasProfession()

Check if the player has learned this profession:

if ns.professions.ALCHEMY:HasProfession() then
    print('Player is an Alchemist')
end

GetSkillLevel()

Get the player’s current skill level in this profession:

local level, maxLevel = ns.professions.BLACKSMITHING:GetSkillLevel()
print('Blacksmithing: ' .. level .. '/' .. maxLevel)

GetIcon()

Get the profession’s icon texture ID:

local icon = ns.professions.COOKING:GetIcon()
-- Use in UI elements or tooltips

Usage in Requirements

Professions are commonly used in requirement systems:

-- Require specific profession for vendor access
local kejPetVendor = ns.node.Vendor({
    id = 218106,
    label = 'Kej Pet Vendor',
    requires = ns.requirement.Reputation(2601, 4), -- Friendly with The Severed Threads
    note = L['kej_pet_vendor_note'],
    rewards = {
        ns.reward.Pet({item = 224550, id = 4533}), -- Ascended Shredwing
        ns.reward.Pet({item = 224551, id = 4534})  -- Deepridger
    }
})

-- Profession treasure requiring specific profession
local alchemyTreasure = ns.node.ProfessionTreasures.Alchemy({
    quest = 83846,
    id = 226271,
    parent = map.id
}) -- Nerubian Mixing Salts

Usage in Groups

Groups can be configured to only display for players with specific professions:

-- Real example from the framework
ns.groups.ELUSIVE_CREATURE = ns.Group('elusive_creature', 644271, {
    defaults = ns.GROUP_HIDDEN,
    type = ns.group_types.EXPANSION,
    IsEnabled = function(self)
        -- Only display group for skinning players
        if not ns.professions.SKINNING:HasProfession() then return false end
        return ns.Group.IsEnabled(self)
    end
})

Usage in Rewards

Profession-related rewards can reference profession data:

local recipe = ns.reward.Recipe({
    item = 12345,
    profession = ns.professions.COOKING,
    note = 'Teaches Spiced Wolf Meat'
})

Dynamic Profession Checking

For dynamic content that adapts to player professions:

local node = ns.node.NPC({
    label = 'Multi-Profession Trainer',
    note = function()
        local lines = {}

        if ns.professions.ALCHEMY:HasProfession() then
            table.insert(lines, 'Can teach Alchemy recipes')
        end

        if ns.professions.HERBALISM:HasProfession() then
            table.insert(lines, 'Can teach herb locations')
        end

        if #lines == 0 then
            return 'Learn Alchemy or Herbalism to train here'
        end

        return table.concat(lines, '\n')
    end
})

Profession Icons in UI

Use profession icons in tooltips and rewards:

local function ProfessionIcon(profession)
    return '|T' .. profession.icon .. ':16:16:0:0|t '
end

local node = ns.node.Treasure({
    label = 'Herb Cache',
    note = ProfessionIcon(ns.professions.HERBALISM) .. 'Contains rare herbs',
    requires = ns.requirement.Profession(ns.professions.HERBALISM)
})

Expansion Variants

Some professions have different skill IDs for different expansions. The variantID array contains these:

-- Check if player has any variant of Engineering
local hasEngineering = false
for _, variantID in ipairs(ns.professions.ENGINEERING.variantID) do
    if ns.PlayerHasProfession(variantID) then
        hasEngineering = true
        break
    end
end

Utility Functions

ns.PlayerHasProfession(skillID)

Low-level function to check if player has a specific skill ID:

if ns.PlayerHasProfession(171) then -- Alchemy skill ID
    print('Player has Alchemy')
end

Real Plugin Examples

Complete examples from actual HandyNotes plugins:

Profession Treasures (from Azj-Kahet)

-- Alchemy treasures
cot.nodes[45321322] = ns.node.ProfessionTreasures.Alchemy({
    quest = 83846,
    id = 226271,
    parent = map.id
}) -- Nerubian Mixing Salts

map.nodes[42835735] = ns.node.ProfessionTreasures.Alchemy({
    quest = 83847,
    id = 226272
}) -- Dark Apothecary's Vial

-- Blacksmithing treasures
cot.nodes[46522291] = ns.node.ProfessionTreasures.Blacksmithing({
    quest = 83854,
    id = 226282,
    parent = map.id
}) -- Nerubian Smith's Kit

-- Mining treasures
cot.nodes[46812169] = ns.node.ProfessionTreasures.Mining({
    quest = 83912,
    id = 226338,
    parent = map.id
}) -- Heavy Spider Crusher

cotl.nodes[47954059] = ns.node.ProfessionTreasures.Mining({
    quest = 83913,
    id = 226339,
    parent = {map.id, cot.id}
}) -- Nerubian Mining Cart

-- Skinning treasures
cotl.nodes[44484947] = ns.node.ProfessionTreasures.Skinning({
    quest = 83920,
    id = 226346,
    parent = {map.id, cot.id}
}) -- Nerubian's Slicking Iron

map.nodes[56545524] = ns.node.ProfessionTreasures.Skinning({
    quest = 83921,
    id = 226347
}) -- Carapace Shiner