Using set target command in BAR widgets and choosing a lua editor

How to replace attack orders with set target in widget code, finding command constants, and picking the right text editor for BAR modding.

Tags: beyond all reason set target, CMD_UNIT_SET_TARGET, widget coding, lua editor, visual studio code

Replacing attack with set target in widget code

If a widget uses CMD.ATTACK with spGiveOrderToUnit() but you need the unit to set a target instead of attacking immediately, swap in CMD_UNIT_SET_TARGET with the command ID 34923.

The full pattern looks like this:

local CMD_UNIT_SET_TARGET = 34923
spGiveOrderToUnit(unitID, CMD_UNIT_SET_TARGET, {nearestEnemy}, {})

The command constant lives in the BAR source file at luaui/Widgets/cmd_default_set_target.lua. This reference is useful whenever you need custom target-setting behavior in widgets that would otherwise trigger immediate attacks.

Choosing a text editor for widget development

You can edit BAR widget files in any text editor. Notepad works. But an editor that understands Lua syntax saves time through syntax highlighting, bracket matching, and error detection.

Recommended options:

• Visual Studio Code with the Lua extension provides full language support
• Notepad++ with Lua syntax highlighting handles basic needs
• Sublime Text offers lightweight editing with Lua packages

VS Code is the community preference for its integrated terminal, file search, and Lua debugging extensions.