Resource location

Resource locations^[1] (also known as namespaced IDs, namespaced identifiers, resource identifiers,^[2] or namespaced strings^[3]) are a way to declare and specify game objects in Minecraft, which can identify built-in and user-defined objects without potential ambiguity or conflicts.

Introduction[]

Resource locations are used as plain strings to reference blocks, items, entity types, and various other objects in vanilla Minecraft.

A valid resource location has a format of namespace:path, where only certain characters can be used.

Legal characters[]

Java Edition[]

The namespace and the path of a resource location should only contain the following symbols:

• 0123456789 Numbers
• abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Lowercase letters
• _ Underscore
• - Hyphen/minus
• . Dot

The following characters are illegal in the namespace, but acceptable in the path:

• / Forward slash (directory separator)

The preferred naming convention for either namespace or path is snake_case.

Bedrock Edition[]

The namespace and the path of an namespaced ID can contain all symbols with the exception of slashes and colons.

The following characters are illegal in the namespace, but acceptable in the path of loot tables and functions.

• / Forward slash (directory separator)

The preferred naming convention for either namespace or path is snake_case.

Conversion to string[]

A resource location would be converted to a string by appending its namespace with a : (colon) and its path.

Examples:

Namespace	Path	String representation
minecraft	diamond	minecraft:diamond
foo	bar.baz	foo:bar.baz
minecraftwiki	commands/minecraft_wiki	minecraftwiki:commands/minecraft_wiki

Conversion from string[]

Unlike that, resource locations can always be converted to strings; some strings cannot be converted to resource locations.

A few restrictions:

• The string can have at most one : (colon) character
• The rest of the string must fulfill the requirement for legal characters

When the : is present, the part of the string before the : becomes the namespace, and that after the : becomes the path.

In Java Edition, and in some cases in Bedrock Edition, when the : is absent, minecraft becomes the namespace and the whole string becomes the path.

It is recommended to always include a : in the string format of resource locations.

Examples

String	Resolved namespace	Resolved path	What the game converts it back to
bar:code	bar	code	bar:code
minecraft:zombie	minecraft	zombie	minecraft:zombie
diamond	minecraft‌[Java Edition only] None‌[Bedrock Edition only]	diamond	minecraft:diamond‌[Java Edition only] diamond‌[Bedrock Edition only]
foo/bar:coal	Invalid character /
minecraft/villager	minecraft‌[Java Edition only] None‌[Bedrock Edition only]	minecraft/villager	minecraft:minecraft/villager‌[Java Edition only] minecraft/villager‌[Bedrock Edition only]
mypack_recipe	minecraft‌[Java Edition only] None‌[Bedrock Edition only]	mypack_recipe	minecraft:mypack_recipe‌[Java Edition only] mypack_recipe‌[Bedrock Edition only]
mymap:schrödingers_var	mymap	Invalid character ö‌[Java Edition only] schrödingers_var‌[Bedrock Edition only]	mymap:schrödingers_var‌[Bedrock Edition only]
custom_pack:Capital	custom_pack	Invalid character C‌[Java Edition only] Capital‌[Bedrock Edition only]	custom_pack:Capital‌[Bedrock Edition only]

Usage[]

Here list all places that use resource locations:

Java Edition[]

In Java Edition, resource locations act mainly as main keys of objects in registries, or file paths of contents in packs. Besides, some customizable or hardcoded contents also use resource locations.

Registries and registry objects[]

Each registry and each object in registries has a resource location to represent it.

There's a root registry with resource location of minecraft:root. Other registries are registered into the root registry as its entries.

The following is the list of registries and their resource locations:

Root Registry：minecraft:root

• Attribute: minecraft:attribute
• Block: minecraft:block
• Block entity type: minecraft:block_entity_type
• Chunk status: minecraft:chunk_status
• Command argument type: minecraft:command_argument_type
• Dimension and Level stem: minecraft:dimension
• Dimension type: minecraft:dimension_type
• Enchantment: minecraft:enchantment
• Entity type: minecraft:entity_type
• Fluid: minecraft:fluid
• Game event: minecraft:game_event
• Position source type (used by game events): minecraft:position_source_type
• Item: minecraft:item
• Menu type: minecraft:menu
• Mob effect: minecraft:mob_effect
• Particle type: minecraft:particle_type
• Potion: minecraft:potion
• Recipe serializer: minecraft:recipe_serializer
• Recipe type: minecraft:recipe_type
• Sound event: minecraft:sound_event
• Statistics type: minecraft:stat_type
• Custom Statistics: minecraft:custom_stat
• Entity data registries
  • Entity schedule activity: minecraft:activity
  • Entity memory module type: minecraft:memory_module_type
  • Entity schedule: minecraft:schedule
  • Entity AI sensor type: minecraft:sensor_type
  • Painting motive: minecraft:motive
  • Villager profession: minecraft:villager_profession
  • Villager type: minecraft:villager_type
  • Poi type: minecraft:point_of_interest_type
• Loot table serializer registries:
  • Loot condition type: minecraft:loot_condition_type
  • Loot function type: minecraft:loot_function_type
  • Loot nbt provider type: minecraft:loot_nbt_provider_type
  • Loot number provider type: minecraft:loot_number_provider_type
  • Loot pool entry type: minecraft:loot_pool_entry_type
  • Loot score provider type: minecraft:loot_score_provider_type
• Json file value provider registries:
  • Float provider type: minecraft:float_provider_type
  • Int provider type: minecraft:int_provider_type
  • Height provider type: minecraft:height_provider_type
• World generator registries:
  • Block predicate type: minecraft:block_predicate_type
  • Structure featrue rule test type: minecraft:rule_test
  • Structure featrue position rule test type: minecraft:pos_rule_test
  • World carver: minecraft:worldgen/carver
  • Configured world carver: minecraft:worldgen/configured_carver
  • Feature: minecraft:worldgen/feature
  • Configured feature: minecraft:worldgen/configured_feature
  • Structure set: minecraft:worldgen/structure_set
  • Structure processor type: minecraft:worldgen/structure_processor
  • Structure processor list: minecraft:worldgen/processor_list
  • Structure pool element type: minecraft:worldgen/structure_pool_element
  • Structure template pool: minecraft:worldgen/template_pool
  • Structure piece type: minecraft:worldgen/structure_piece
  • Structure feature: minecraft:worldgen/structure_type
  • Configured structure feature: minecraft:worldgen/structure
  • Structure placement type: minecraft:worldgen/structure_placement
  • Placement modifier type: minecraft:worldgen/placement_modifier_type
  • Placed feature: minecraft:worldgen/placed_feature
  • Biome: minecraft:worldgen/biome
  • Biome source: minecraft:worldgen/biome_source
  • Normal noise: minecraft:worldgen/noise
  • Noise generator settings: minecraft:worldgen/noise_settings
  • Density function: minecraft:worldgen/density_function
  • Density function type: minecraft:worldgen/density_function_type
  • World preset: minecraft:worldgen/world_preset
  • Flat world generator preset: minecraft:worldgen/flat_level_generator_preset
  • Chunk generator: minecraft:worldgen/chunk_generator
  • Surface condition source: minecraft:worldgen/material_condition
  • Surface rule source: minecraft:worldgen/material_rule
  • Block state provider type: minecraft:worldgen/block_state_provider_type
  • Foliage placer type: minecraft:worldgen/foliage_placer_type
  • Trunk placer type: minecraft:worldgen/trunk_placer_type
  • Tree decorator type: minecraft:worldgen/tree_decorator_type
  • Feature size type: minecraft:worldgen/feature_size_type

Pack contents[]

Resource locations are also used to represent files' paths in data pack or resource pack.

Data pack

• Tags
• Advancements
• Recipes
• Predicates
• Loot tables
• Item modifier
• Functions
• Structure files
• Dimensions
• Dimension types
• World generator contents
  • Biomes
  • Configured carvers
  • Configured features
  • Configured structure features
  • Placed features
  • Structures
  • Structure sets
  • Processor lists
  • Template pools
  • Noise
  • Noise generator settings
  • Density functions
  • Flat level generator presets
  • World presets

Resource pack

• Block states
• Models
• Textures
• Sounds
• Fonts
• Font resource files
• Particles
• shaders

Locating contents in packs[]

Given objects from resource packs and data packs are files, the resource locations represent corresponding paths.

Though the locations vary by object type and the pack type the object type belongs to, there is a pattern to follow. In general, the location is in the fashion of pack_type/namespace/object_type/name.suffix, where all the / (forward slash) symbol (may be part of object_type or name) is replaced by operating system-dependent directory separator.

Given the type of content we want to locate, we can find out the corresponding pack_type, object_type, and suffix. Then, we can substitute in and find out the final file location of the content.

Registered pack contents[]

A registried pack content refers to pack content that is registered into a registry when the pack is loaded. For a registried pack content, its resource location works as both main key of registry entry and path of its resource file.

Other contents[]

Customizable contents

• Boss bars
• Command storages

Hardcoded contents

• Cat types for predicates (e.g. textures/entity/cat/tabby.png, textures/entity/cat/jellie.png)
• Criteria triggers
• Item properties (i.e. item predicates in models. e.g. angle, custom_model_data)
• Loot context param sets (i.e. types of loot table. e.g. barter, generic)
• Unaccessible contents:
  • Suggestion providers for autocompletion of commands (e.g. summonable_entities, all_recipes)
  • Entity models
  • Loot context params (e.g. this_entity, origin, tool)

---

Bedrock Edition[]

Unlike Java Edition, where there is a unified standard and handling methods of resource location, namespaced identifiers are usually treated as normal strings in Bedrock Edition. Moreover, namespaced identifiers are even not required in some cases (e.g. recipe's identifier). However, for content creators, it is recommended to always use namespaced identifiers no matter whether required or not.

The following is a list of all places that use namespaced identifiers:

Build-in contents[]

• Vanilla blocks, items, entities, status effects, dimensions, biomes, structures, features, etc.
• Entity attributes
• Item components for commands
• Components for block, entity, etc. used in add-on files
• Json schemas for addons
• Gametest script enabled components

Registried add-on entries[]

A registried add-on entry refers to add-on content that is registered with an identifier which is declared in add-on files.

Here is a list of registried add-on entries whose identifiers can be namespaced.

Behavior pack contents

• Blocks
• Entities
• Items
• Spawn rules
• Biomes
• Features
• Feature rules
• Volumes
• Recipes
• Structures
• Gametests
• Diolog scenes
• Spawn groups

Resource pack contents

• Attachables
• Cameras
• Particle effects
• Fog settings

Some custom fields in add-on files can also be namespaced, such as custom block properties and entity component groups, which aren't listed here.

Others[]

• Structures saved with structure block

Namespaces[]

	“	This isn't a new concept, but I thought I should reiterate what a "namespace" is. Most things in the game has a namespace, so that if we add something and a mod (or map, or whatever) adds something, they're both different somethings. Whenever you're asked to name something, for example a loot table, you're expected to also provide what namespace that thing comes from. If you don't specify the namespace, we default to minecraft. This means that something and minecraft:something are the same thing.	„
		— Dinnerbone on namespaces[4]

A namespace is a domain for content. It is to prevent potential content conflicts or unintentional overrides of objects of the same name.

For example, two data packs add two minigame mechanisms to Minecraft; both have a function named start. Without namespaces, these two functions would clash and the minigames would be broken. When they have different namespaces of minigame_one and minigame_two, the functions would become minigame_one:start and minigame_two:start, which no longer conflict.

minecraft namespace[]

Minecraft reserves the minecraft namespace. When a namespace is not specified, a resource location falls back to minecraft‌^{[Java Edition only]}. As a result, the minecraft namespace should only be used by content creators when the content needs to overwrite or modify existing Minecraft data, such as adding a function to the minecraft:load function tag.

Custom namespace[]

The namespace should be distinct for different projects or content creations (e.g. a data pack, a resource pack, a mod, backing data/resource packs for a custom map, etc.)

To prevent potential clashes, the namespace should be as specific as possible.

• Avoid alphabet soups. For example, a project named "nuclear craft" should not use the namespace nc, as this is too ambiguous.
• Avoid words that are too vague. battle_royale would not be informative to look up as well, but player_name_battle_royale would be much better.

In either case, these poorly chosen namespaces reduce the exposure of a project and bring difficulties for debugging when there are multiple content creations applied to the game.

Other built-in namespaces[]

The vanilla Minecraft resource pack declares Realms-oriented language files in the realms namespace (located at assets/realms/lang/.json) and game-related language files in the minecraft namespace, even though translation keys are not resource locations. The realms jar itself also declares its en_us.json language file and its various textures in the realms namespace.

In the IDs of command argument types, a brigadier namespace also appears for command argument types that are native to Brigadier.

History[]

Java Edition
1.6.1		13w21a			Added resource locations alongside the minecraft prefix for identifying assets.
1.7.2		13w37a			Commands now accept name IDs aside from numerical IDs.
1.11		16w32a			Resource locations now have a character restriction.
					Disallowed uppercase characters in resource locations.
1.13		17w47a			After the flattening, resource locations are the only accepted form of identifiers.
		pre4			Resource locations are now used to identify plugin message channels.[5]
1.14.4		pre1			The realms namespace is added to the client jar's builtin resource pack.
1.16		20w14a			Attributes are now resource locations.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.16.0		build 1			Added commands, which supported string IDs. However, these identifiers were not namespaced yet.
Bedrock Edition
1.12.0		beta 1.12.0.2			IDs are now namespaced using the minecraft prefix, to support custom items being added through add-ons.

See also[]

• Java Edition data values
• Resource pack
• Data pack

References[]

External links[]

• Namespaces, as explained in "Minecraft Snapshot 17w43a" – Minecraft.net.

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