LZRoster, based on LZProfiler (Ace2)

[AllInOneMighty]

I think that this tool could interest some people on these forums, so I decided to post it here. LZProfiler isn't available directly on WowInterface, only on Wowace, but if you feel it should be available here too, then post. I'll roam around for some time to check if there is any user request/comment on this thread.

So it's done, I've updated all the code (it is now using PHP classes), it's optimized, it's bug free (99%), it's better and more beautiful, but... but! but?! but what am I talking about? LZRoster (http://www.lzroster.com/) obviously!

Three pictures to see:
http://www.lzroster.com/share/thumbs/home.png
http://www.lzroster.com/share/thumbs/tradeskills.png
http://www.lzroster.com/share/thumbs/preferences.png

Quick description
LZRoster lets you display all the information that the World of Warcraft Armory does not display for a guild: the crafts list and the dungeons access list. But it does a lot more than that: it supports several languages, it's customizable, and easy to install. Better: it does not ask the users to make a lot of updates! And it's FREE!

The roster also generates automatic links to a World of Warcraft database chosen by its webmaster during the installation process. A demo is available on the official website, go there if you want an immediate testing: http://www.lzroster.com/

Long description
"Hum.... What is it?"
A roster!

"Huh?"
Ok, ok, let me explain... A roster displays informations on a guild, data being sent by users ^^ We thus have...

"Wait, wait, wait! Don't we already have that on the armory?"
Actually... no. The aim of LZRoster is precisely to display information that are not displayed on the World of Warcraft armory.

"And what does it not display?"
Tradeskills... and dungeons access! It is obviously impossible to know who is able to craft a specific item without asking on the guild chat. And I'm not talking about the case when the player that knows the craft isn't connected when you ask... in short it makes your life easier.

"Yeah... there are already a lot of rosters."
Sure, but none is like LZRoster.

First of all it is pretty. I was a bit bored of stark interfaces, globally ugly and not very "user-friendly". I wanted something that was pleasant and on which you want to come back. Globally, it gives that: http://www.lzroster.com/share/tradeskills.png

Then, it supports several languages ; this means that you can send your data in English or French without any problems, links are automatically made by the roster (you can have an example here: http://www.lzroster.com/demo/tradesk...?t=engineering). Actually, all languages in the world are supported if someone makes one translation for each of them (roughly 1 hour of work). You will then be able to display the roster in one of the supported languages, thanks to the link at the top right corner of each page.

LZRoster is customizable through user accounts that players can create with the roster password that secures it. You can see an example of the preferences page here: http://www.lzroster.com/share/preferences.png

Finally, it is easy to use, thanks to a clear and detailed installation script (so that every webmaster is reassured of what he or her is doing). Check the installation script for an example (http://www.lzroster.com/share/install.png).

"Ok. I understood it has a lot of options. And what if I want to know how to get the reagents a craft needs to be made?"
When you install the roster, the webmaster can select in a list the database where users will be redirected when they click on an item link. For example you can click on one of the reagents on the tradeskills page ; you will then automaticaly be redirected to a World of Warcraft database.

Currently supported databases are:

• Wowhead
• Thottbot
• Allakhazam
• World of Warcraft Armory
• Judgehype (FR)

Soon: WowDB, WowDigger, ...

"Nice indeed. But what else?"

• LZRoster is free of charge, OpenSource and uses free technologies (PHP & MySQL).
• It needs a small amount of memory: less than 3MB per page in the vast majority of cases, allowing it to be installed on most of multidomain hosts.
• The roster is optimized: even on a multidomain host, it will need less than a second to display more than 300 crafts with there related reagents!
• There is no need to update the roster very often. When you have done it once, it should be ok! But you can also send your data each time you learn a new craft to tell your guildmates that you can create this item.
• Adys, a former member of the Wowhead team (http://www.wowhead.com/?aboutus), has participated in its development.
• Support is very fast. You will generally get an answer the same day you have posted your message (often in the next few hours).

"Any references?"
Sure. But since the first version of the roster has been released only to the French community, you will only find some French references (but English will come soon!): http://www.lzroster.com/who.php?en

"And where can I find it?"
On the official webiste: http://www.lzroster.com/
A little demo is available there (but don't overload the server please! ).

The installation guide is available here: http://www.lzroster.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10

"And what if it does not work?"
Why would it not work? It cannot bug, that's impossible ^^

More seriously, if you have a problem, don't hesitate to post on the official forums of the roster. Support is very reactive.