Create It Yourself!

We are unveiling the game code!

Creating games is certainly not an easy task; it’s not like working on spacecraft or performing brain surgeries (though those might be simpler). Learning to code and program requires a significant amount of effort, time, and patience to bring a game to life! But imagine if you had access to a wealth of resources…

Dreams come true: wonderful individuals from the Minecraft Java team in Stockholm have decided to open up some library files for us to use and customize! Want to enhance mods? No problem! Looking to incorporate them into your projects? Go ahead! Just remember to credit the original authors. Or perhaps you want to utilize them to improve Minecraft? Thank you, we truly appreciate it.

What do these “libraries” mean?

“Libraries are small components of the game engine. We create standalone libraries that Minecraft Pocket Edition uses with open-source code. Anyone can take and use them in their own game,” explains Java developer Nathan Adams (also known as Dinnerbone).

Hey, this is the very game we all know and love! But take a closer look at that colorful text?

Gradually, we aim to provide access to more libraries. Each one comes with an open-source license under MIT. This means that not only can anyone use them, but there will also be opportunities to contribute to the game’s development and enhance gameplay,” Nathan explains.

“If someone decides to develop their own game, they won’t need to rewrite all that code from scratch. They can simply use ours, which has been tested multiple times and refined to a high standard by both our specialists and others!”

This may be the most unexciting image we’ve ever shown you, but can developing a game and writing code really be fun? To download the first library, whose screenshot is provided above, click here.

Brigadier

“I am so proud of this name!” says Nathan. “Brigadier is the name of the command engine used in Minecraft Bedrock. We’ve chosen it for the first library we’re opening!”

“For instance, when you type something like ‘/give Dinnerbone sticks’, it automatically goes into the library and breaks it down, showing what can be done with a specific fragment of text.”

“This is what players can do; just let me know if a player wants to perform any action,” says Minecraft Brigadier. When a user types “/give Dinnerbone sticks” in the Brigadier chat, it parses, checks it, and ensures everything is functioning correctly. Additionally, there’s a pop-up window while typing that displays some very useful information and suggests possible next steps.

I hope this helps you understand everything.



[1/3] – Press the key “/”, to start entering a command, then Brigadier will provide options for further actions.
[2/3] – Each part of the command has its color. Thus, the command “give” appears in gray, the player’s name “Dinnerbone” in blue, and the item assigned “Minecraft/stick” is highlighted in yellow.
[3/3] – So, here’s our command, as bright as a rainbow (well, almost)! Now it needs to be uploaded to the library and see how it can be utilized.

Nathan believes that making libraries accessible will make the gaming experience more engaging and convenient. Currently, many people are not taking advantage of this opportunity. “Some folks really overlook commands, probably because they’re intimidated by the sheer number of unfamiliar symbols. But I hope we can help them overcome that fear and show them how to use it,” says the developer.

Brigadier selects several lines from the text you’ve entered in Minecraft Bedrock and creates a function that will execute later (this way, you won’t have to deal with all those sticks and other strange symbols yourself). “Most people think it’s very simple, but in reality, there’s a lot to work through carefully,” Nathan states.

“We’re confident this is a fantastic system test. Now people can simply take them and use them in their developments. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a video game; I’ve personally seen our teams applied in creating bots for social media. To avoid unnecessary complications, just tell it what to do, and it will carry out your request.”

Brigadier will not be available forever, just a little over a week. During this time, we’ve already encountered people trying to make the document more user-friendly and appealing. Hmm, are they trying to put me out of work?

Data Fixer Upper

“It’s such a strange name that we couldn’t possibly leave it out!” admits Nathan. The creators chose it solely because it sounds so cool. And guess what? It’s the name of the second library being opened!

“Like in many games, Minecraft Pocket Edition faces an issue where data gradually changes over time. For example, when we add an item, we must modify it along with other placement files to preserve it,” Nathan explains.

“When we introduce any new build into the game, you might receive files that haven’t been edited in over six years. To continue playing smoothly, we need to update the old interface and settings to align with modern standards.”

“We have a small yet incredibly useful section in DataFixerUpper that simply shows and tells Minecraft: ‘Here’s how to adjust the data used by the game.’ And it reads the data as it should be.”

“In short, before any file enters the game, it passes through DataFixerUpper, which reformats it to its current state.”

A bit confusing? Yes, I agree, in this regard, DataFixerUpper isn’t as practical and straightforward as Brigadier. That’s one reason why we opened this library to everyone!

Honestly, for someone as simple as me, nothing makes sense. Good luck!

Soon, the Java team will make more libraries available. This article will be updated upon their release. One potential option is Blaze3D, a complete overhaul of map rendering functions. We’re aiming to implement this feature for version 1.14. But until it’s released, why not practice coding with the libraries currently available? Please don’t forget to leave feedback on the GitHub page or contact Nathan on Twitter!

Download Brigadier

Download DataFixerUpper