Files, Folders & ZIPs
Learn the basic computer/file skills that datapacks, resource packs and DAI projects assume.
Files are the building blocks.
A DAI project is mostly ordinary folders and text files. Minecraft does not care whether you made them in Notepad, VS Code, DAI Creator or another editor; it cares about the exact filename, extension, path and contents.
1. Know the filename and the extension
| Example | What it is | Correct for that purpose |
|---|---|---|
hello.json | JSON data file | Yes |
hello.mcfunction | Minecraft function | Yes |
pack.mcmeta | Pack metadata | Yes |
hello.json.txt | Text file pretending to be JSON | No |
.txt and make a broken hello.json.txt look like hello.json.2. Use a plain-text editor
JSON and functions are plain text. Use DAI Creator, Notepad, VS Code, Notepad++, or another plain-text/code editor. Do not use Word/Google Docs rich-text formatting for pack files.
3. Folder paths are instructions
When a guide says data/my_game/logics/definitions/hello.json, it means:
data/
└─ my_game/
└─ logics/
└─ definitions/
└─ hello.jsonA slash (/) in documentation means “inside this folder.”
4. ZIP files preserve a project tree
A ZIP is a container. The most common beginner packaging error is adding one extra folder level.
Correct ZIP root
MyPack.zip ├─ pack.mcmeta └─ data/
Wrong nested root
MyPack.zip └─ MyPack/ ├─ pack.mcmeta └─ data/
Minecraft opens the ZIP and expects to find pack.mcmeta at the pack root.
5. Naming rules that prevent pain
- Use lowercase letters, numbers, underscores and hyphens for namespaces/IDs unless a specific schema says otherwise.
- Avoid spaces in namespaces and resource IDs.
- Keep a stable ID after release even if the display name changes.
- Do not rename folders merely to make them prettier; paths are part of the program.
Checkpoint
You are ready for Chapter 2 when you can create a folder tree from a slash-separated path and can verify that a file really ends in .json or .mcfunction.