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Your First Script

Instillation

Install the mod and its two dependencies Architectury and Rhino.
Make you use the most resent version of each mods for your version.
If you are using 1.16 fabric then use this instead.

When you first install KubeJS, you will need to launch Minecraft with the mods (and the game not crashing) to generate the some folders and files.

The kubejs folder

Finding it

Everything you do in KubeJS in located in the kubejs folder in your instance.

  • In PolyMC the file structure will look like polymc > instances > instance name > minecraft > kubejs
  • In CurseForge launcher the file structure will look like curseforge > minecraft > instances > instance name > kubejs
  • In both of these cases the instance name is the name of the instance

From now on this will be referenced as the kubejs folder.

The contents of it
  • startup_scripts
    • Scripts that get loaded once during game startup
    • Used for adding items and other things that can only happen while the game is loading
    • Can reload code not in an event with /kubejs reload_startup_scripts
    • To reload all the code you must restart the game
  • client_scripts
    • Scripts that get loaded every time client resources reload
    • Used for:
      • JEI events
      • tooltips
      • other client side things
    • Can reload code not in an event with /kubejs reload client_scripts
    • Can reload all the code in client_scripts with F3+T
  • server_scripts
    • Scripts that get loaded every time server resources reload (world load, /reload)
    • Used for modifying:
      • recipes
      • tags
      • loot tables
      • handling server events
    • Can reload code not in an event with /kubejs reload server_scripts
    • Can be all the code in server_scripts with /reload
  • exported
    • Data dumps like texture atlases end up here
  • config
    • KubeJS config storage.
    • This is also the only directory that scripts can access other than world directory
  • assets
    • Acts as a resource pack
    • you can put any client resources in here, like:
      • textures
        • Example: assets/kubejs/textures/item/test_item.png
      • models
      • lang
      • etc.
    • Can be reloaded by pressing F3 + T
    • Can reload only the lang files (so faster) /kubejs reload lang
    • Read more about it here.
  • data
    • Acts as a datapack
    • you can put any server resources in here, like:
      • loot tables
        • Example: data/kubejs/loot_tables/blocks/test_block.json
      • functions
      • etc
    • Can be reloaded with /reload
    • Read more about it here.
  • README.txt
    • Contains the information here

You can find type-specific logs in logs/kubejs/ directory

Other Useful Tools

Code is just a language that computers can understand. However, the grammar of the language, called syntax for code, is very precise. When you code has a syntactical error, the computer does not know what to do and will probably do something that you do not desire.

With KubeJS we will be writing a lot of code, so it important to avoid these errors. Luckily, there are tools called code editors, that can help us write code correctly.

We recommend installing Visual Studio Code as it is light-ish and has great built in JS support. Now when you edit you java script files, it will not only warn you when you make most syntactical errors, but also help you make them in the first place.

Writing Your First Script

If you have launched the game at least once before you will find kubejs/server_scripts/example_server_script.js It looks like this:

// priority: 0

settings.logAddedRecipes = true
settings.logRemovedRecipes = true
settings.logSkippedRecipes = false
settings.logErroringRecipes = true

console.info('Hello, World! (You will see this line every time server resources reload)')

onEvent('recipes', event => {
	// Change recipes here
})

onEvent('item.tags', event => {
	// Get the #forge:cobblestone tag collection and add Diamond Ore to it
	// event.get('forge:cobblestone').add('minecraft:diamond_ore')

	// Get the #forge:cobblestone tag collection and remove Mossy Cobblestone from it
	// event.get('forge:cobblestone').remove('minecraft:mossy_cobblestone')
})

Lets break it down:

  • // priority: 0
    • Makes it so that if you have multiple server scripts, this script gets loaded first
    • If you have only one server_script, this has no effect
  • settings.logAddedRecipes = true
    settings.logRemovedRecipes = true
    settings.logSkippedRecipes = false
    settings.logErroringRecipes = true
    • sets settings for what messages are logged
    • You can remove all four of these lines if you want and it will only change what is put into the logs
  • console.info('Hello, World! (You will see this line every time server resources reload)')
    • Prints the message in the log
    • This line is useless other then example and should be removed eventually
  • onEvent('recipes', event => {
    • This makes an event listener for the recipes event, and will run the code inside when and only when the recipes event is triggered
    • This is triggered when server resources reload
      • Which happens when the world load or the /reload command is used
  • // Change recipes here
    • comment, an code in a line following // will be considered a comment and will not be run
    • Used for taking notes as you write the code
  • })
    • Indicates the end of the 'recipes' event listener
  • onEvent('item.tags', event => {
        // Get the #forge:cobblestone tag collection and add Diamond Ore to it
        // event.get('forge:cobblestone').add('minecraft:diamond_ore')

        // Get the #forge:cobblestone tag collection and remove Mossy Cobblestone from it
        // event.get('forge:cobblestone').remove('minecraft:mossy_cobblestone')
    })

    • Same thing as the other one but for the item.tags event
    • You can find the list of all event here

Finally Writing Code For Real

Lets start off by adding a recipe to craft flint from three gravel.

To do so, insert this code right after the recipes event.

event.shapeless("flint", ["gravel", "gravel", "gravel"])

It should look like this:

// priority: 0

settings.logAddedRecipes = true
settings.logRemovedRecipes = true
settings.logSkippedRecipes = false
settings.logErroringRecipes = true

console.info('Hello, World! (You will see this line every time server resources reload)')

onEvent('recipes', event => {
	// Change recipes here
	event.shapeless("flint", ["gravel", "gravel", "gravel"])
})

onEvent('item.tags', event => {
	// Get the #forge:cobblestone tag collection and add Diamond Ore to it
	// event.get('forge:cobblestone').add('minecraft:diamond_ore')

	// Get the #forge:cobblestone tag collection and remove Mossy Cobblestone from it
	// event.get('forge:cobblestone').remove('minecraft:mossy_cobblestone')
})

Now lets test it!

Run the command /reload in game, then try crafting three gravel together in any order.

But how does it work?

  • event
    • This is a variable that created with the arrow expression in onEvent('recipes', event => {...
      • You can have the name be what every you choose, as long as it matches everywhere
  • .
    • The dot operator is used for calling a method of an object
    • In this case event is the object and shapeless is the method
  • shapeless(
    • This is the method that is called by the dot operator on the event
    • It is taking two arguments, that being an item result and a array input
  • "
    • Indicates the start of a string
  • flint
    • The contents of the string
    • You can use create:flour , if it is from a different mod (flint is the same as minecraft:flint, and both are valid)
  • "
    • Signifies the end of the string.
    • A string is simply a sequence of characters, or letters
    • You can read more about strings in JS here.
  • ,
    • separates different arguments in the method.
  • [
    • Signifies the start of the array.
    • An array holds multiple values or any type, including other arrays.
    • You can read more about arrays in JS here.
  • "gravel", "gravel", "gravel"
    • The contents of the array
    • Arrays can hold an indefinite number of elements
  • ]
    • Closing the array
  • )
    • Closing the method

There you go! You can make custom shapeless recipes!

If you want to make other types of recipes, learn about it here, and if you have an addon that adds more recipe types, loot at its mod page, or here.