DAI 4.1 · LEVEL 0 · CHAPTER 8
Beginner Glossary
Plain-language definitions for the Minecraft, datapack, resource-pack and DAI terminology used throughout the creator documentation.
Keep this page open while using the advanced guides.
The reference docs intentionally use precise terminology. This glossary translates the most common terms into beginner language.
| Term | Plain-language meaning |
|---|---|
| Action | A DAI operation/primitive that does something. |
| ADDON | A reusable DAI pack that adds features without owning the whole game/save. |
| Array | A JSON list written with [ ]. |
| Assets | Client presentation files such as textures, models and sounds. |
| Authoritative | The side whose decision is trusted for gameplay state; usually the server for rewards/world/inventory. |
| Boolean | JSON true or false. |
| Client | The Minecraft game process rendering/inputting for a player. |
| Companion resource pack | A resource pack associated with a DAI datapack/experience. |
| Condition | A check that decides whether something is currently true/allowed. |
| Creator | DAI's guided browser authoring environment. |
| Data Components | Modern Minecraft item data/state components. |
| Datapack | Minecraft data/logic package rooted by pack.mcmeta + data/. |
| Definition | A JSON resource that describes a DAI/Minecraft object or behavior. |
| Entity | A dynamic world object such as a player, mob or projectile. |
| Experience | A DAI game-owning lifecycle definition; commonly part of a MAIN pack. |
| Extension | The ending of a filename, e.g. .json or .mcfunction. |
| Function | A .mcfunction file containing Minecraft commands. |
| Game directory | The Minecraft instance folder containing mods/, resourcepacks/, saves, etc. |
| ID | A stable machine-readable name used to reference content. |
| JSON | Structured text format DAI uses for definitions. |
| Load function | A function registered to run when datapack data loads/reloads. |
| MAIN | The single DAI pack that owns a complete experience/save lifecycle in a stack. |
| Migration | Logic that upgrades old saved state/content to a newer release safely. |
| Namespace | The owner prefix in an ID such as my_game in my_game:hello. |
| Namespaced ID | An address in the form namespace:path. |
| NeoForge | Minecraft mod loader/API used by the DAI runtime. |
| Object | A JSON group of named fields written with { }. |
| Objective | A goal/state flow unit used to structure gameplay progress. |
| Pack metadata | pack.mcmeta; identifies Minecraft compatibility and optional DAI metadata. |
| Path | Folder/file location or the part of a resource ID after the namespace. |
| Reaction | Event-driven logic that responds to something happening. |
| Registry | A system mapping stable IDs to known content types. |
| Resource pack | Minecraft client presentation package rooted by pack.mcmeta + assets/. |
| Resource location | Another name for a namespaced resource ID. |
| Selector | Minecraft target syntax such as @s, @a or @e. |
| Sequence | Ordered actions/steps. |
| Server | Authoritative game logic/world process; integrated server exists even in single-player. |
| Stable identity | An ID kept unchanged across releases so updates refer to the same logical project/content. |
| State | Information describing the current game situation/progression. |
| Tag | A Minecraft data resource that groups/points to other resources, e.g. load/tick functions. |
| Tick | One game update step; normally 20 per second under healthy performance. |
| Universal Files | Creator surface for arbitrary JSON, functions, text, binary and nested pack paths. |
| Validation | Automated checks for syntax, paths, references and known schema mistakes. |
| World-local datapack | A datapack inside one save's datapacks/ directory. |
| ZIP root | The first level inside a ZIP; pack metadata must be at the expected root. |
You finished Level 0.
Choose what happens next: use the Module Guide to build one feature, Create Anything for system-by-system builds, or the complete-game tracks when you want to build a whole experience.
You can return here whenever an advanced page uses a term you do not recognize.