[exists] - macro conditional

[jlrm365]

This is a quick note for clarification / confirmation.
As I understand it, the conditional [exists] relies on there being a target.

Here's where I am unclear...

/cast [combat,exists,pet] Kill Command
There appears to be a reason to use [exists] because, within the macro line, there is a target (the pet).

/cast [combat,exists] Barbed Shot
There appears to be no reason to use [exists], within the macro line, because there is no target mentioned.

Is [exists] telling you not to cast that line at all, without having a SELECTED target?

If that's the case, then it would be very useful.
I had been assuming that the target needed to be mentioned within the line of the macro itself.

Thanks.

[Kanegasi]

/cast [combat,exists,pet] Kill Command
There appears to be a reason to use [exists] because, within the macro line, there is a target (the pet).

No, the pet would not be the destination of the spell. Only conditionals with the @ symbol designate a destination, such as @target, @player, @focus, and so on. [pet] is true or false depending on whether your pet is "active", as in it is either out and alive or dead with the corpse nearby.

/cast [combat,exists] Barbed Shot
There appears to be no reason to use [exists], within the macro line, because there is no target mentioned.

Correct, [exists] is redundant here. The default destination of a macro is your target, whether or not it's there. Therefore, [exists] by itself does nothing if used with a hostile-only spell.

However, [exists] will prevent a line from casting if it could also be cast on yourself. For example, if you have /cast [exists] Holy Light, it will only attempt to cast on your target and will no longer cast on you. There are also some hostile spells that will automatically target the nearest enemy when cast, something Blizzard has baked into these spells to replicate the popular "/startattack" macros of the past. If you don't like this behavior, [exists] can stop that. I do not know if Barbed Shot is one of these spells.

Going further, while [exists] has very niche uses, the conditionals [help], [harm], [dead], [party], and [raid] imply the same thing. For example, if you see a macro that has [help,exists] in it, the exists is just a waste of space.

[jlrm365]

No, the pet would not be the destination of the spell. Only conditionals with the @ symbol designate a destination, such as @target, @player, @focus, and so on. [pet] is true or false depending on whether your pet is "active", as in it is either out and alive or dead with the corpse nearby.



Correct, [exists] is redundant here. The default destination of a macro is your target, whether or not it's there. Therefore, [exists] by itself does nothing if used with a hostile-only spell.

However, [exists] will prevent a line from casting if it could also be cast on yourself. For example, if you have /cast [exists] Holy Light, it will only attempt to cast on your target and will no longer cast on you. There are also some hostile spells that will automatically target the nearest enemy when cast, something Blizzard has baked into these spells to replicate the popular "/startattack" macros of the past. If you don't like this behavior, [exists] can stop that. I do not know if Barbed Shot is one of these spells.

Going further, while [exists] has very niche uses, the conditionals [help], [harm], [dead], [party], and [raid] imply the same thing. For example, if you see a macro that has [help,exists] in it, the exists is just a waste of space.

Nice. That extra info was helpful.
I think I can call that "solved".
Thanks.