Reference Implementations

This document lists NGDP/CASC implementations useful for understanding the system. These projects have informed cascette-rs development and serve as references for format details and edge cases.

C++ Implementations

ladislav-zezula/CascLib

The original C++ CASC library by the author of StormLib (MPQ library).

• Repository: https://github.com/ladislav-zezula/CascLib
• Use for: Binary format details, algorithm verification, edge cases
• Features: Complete CASC support, local and online archives, multiple games

heksesang/CascLib

C++17 header-only library from the WoW 6.0 era.

• Repository: https://github.com/heksesang/CascLib
• Use for: Simplified CASC reading, header-only integration
• Note: Early implementation, lacks modern features (LZMA, LZ4, Zstd, encryption)

C# Implementations

Marlamin/CascLib

C# fork with WoW-specific enhancements, used by wow.tools.

• Repository: https://github.com/Marlamin/CascLib
• Use for: Encryption keys, root handlers, CDN index parsing, BLTE decoding
• Features: Game-specific root handlers for 20+ Blizzard titles

wowdev/TACTSharp

Memory-mapped C# implementation focused on performance.

• Repository: https://github.com/wowdev/TACTSharp
• Use for: Performance patterns, zero-copy techniques, CDN optimization
• Features: Efficient handling of large encoding files

wowdev/TACT.Net

C# library for TACT extraction operations.

• Repository: https://github.com/wowdev/TACT.Net
• Use for: Extraction patterns, multiple input/output formats
• Features: EKey, CKey, FileDataID, and filename-based extraction

WowDevTools/CASCHost

Server-side CASC hosting for modding.

• Repository: https://github.com/WowDevTools/CASCHost
• Use for: CASC building, CDN structure generation, content serving
• Note: Server-focused (produces content), opposite of cascette-rs (consumes content)

danielsreichenbach/BuildBackup

C# CDN backup tool (maintained fork of TACTAdder).

• Repository: https://github.com/danielsreichenbach/BuildBackup
• Use for: Mirror command reference, CDN failover, parallel downloads
• Features: Archive size caching, resume support, multi-product mirroring

Rust Implementations

ferronn-dev/rustycasc

Rust CASC types and FrameXML extractor.

• Repository: https://github.com/ferronn-dev/rustycasc
• Use for: Rust type definitions, archive index parsing
• Note: Hardcodes 4-byte offsets (doesn’t handle archive-groups)

ohchase/blizztools

Rust CLI for NGDP/TACT operations.

• Repository: https://github.com/ohchase/blizztools
• Use for: Ribbit protocol, install manifest parsing, async download patterns
• Features: Version queries, manifest parsing, file downloads

Other Tools

Warpten/tactmon

C++ CDN tracker with Ribbit monitoring.

• Repository: https://github.com/Warpten/tactmon
• Use for: Ribbit protocol implementation, CDN monitoring, product tracking
• Features: Template-based ORM, database persistence, production monitoring

funjoker/blizzget

Windows GUI CDN downloader.

• Repository: https://github.com/nickscha/blizzget
• Use for: Download workflow, custom version configs, tag selection
• Note: GUI-focused, Windows-only

Kruithne/wow.export

Node.js/TypeScript export toolkit.

• Repository: https://github.com/Kruithne/wow.export
• Use for: File extraction patterns, M2/WMO handling, BLP conversion
• Features: Visual export interface, multiple format support

Marlamin/wow.tools.local

Local wow.tools implementation.

• Repository: https://github.com/Marlamin/wow.tools.local
• Use for: File history tracking, DB2 diffing, hotfix management
• Features: Web-based content browser, model viewer, database browser

Community Resources

wowdev.wiki

Community wiki documenting WoW file formats and systems.

• URL: https://wowdev.wiki
• Key pages: NGDP, CASC, TACT

wago.tools

Build database with 1,900+ WoW builds.

• URL: https://wago.tools/builds
• Use for: Build history, version information, product tracking

Community CDN Mirrors

Community-operated mirrors preserving historical WoW builds. These provide access to game data after Blizzard removes it from official CDNs.

cdn.arctium.tools

• URL: https://cdn.arctium.tools
• Coverage: WoW 6.x onwards (2014+)
• Products: World of Warcraft (all variants)

casc.wago.tools

• URL: https://casc.wago.tools
• Coverage: Recent WoW builds
• Products: World of Warcraft

archive.wow.tools

• URL: https://archive.wow.tools
• Coverage: Various WoW builds
• Products: World of Warcraft, historical data

cascette-rs supports automatic fallback between these mirrors when official Blizzard CDNs are unavailable.