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Version Disambiguation

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Different add-on pack JSON files have different versions of things. Have you ever wondered about the difference between format_version and version? What about min_engine_version or base_game_version?

Why are there so many and how are they different?

Term Example Value Description
base_game_version "1.20.80" Essentially, base_game_version is used to choose how vanilla elements should behave in a world. The base_game_version indicates that when a world with base_game_version "1.20.80" runs, it expects to see all of the vanilla gameplay elements (mobs, items, blocks) as they existed in the "1.20.80" release. This includes both the existence of those elements as well as their behavior.
format_version in manifest.json 2 Pack manifest.json files don't have format_versions formatted like other files do. New ones just have a format_version of 2. If the format_version is 0 or not specified, then pack_manifest.json will be backed up as pack_manifest.json.old and a new manifest.json with "format_version" 1 will be created.
format_version in entity.json "1.19.30" This is a format number at the top of all JSON files which represents the JSON data contract of that particular file. This number looks like a game release version number, but is not. This number is mostly unrelated to the game build or release number, the number matching the version of the game where this format was first introduced but other than that the tie shouldn't have effects on the game. It is used by the file loading code to allow for accurate loading and parsing of JSON files as the data stored in those files can grow or change over time.
format_version in controller.render.name "1.8.0" Files made in older formats will still work in newer versions of the game, but only if the format version is set correctly. Incorrect format versions are a frequent source of errors.
format_version in other files 1.20.80 In other files, format_version is typically used to distinguish among different versions. Typically, you'll want to use a version consistent with the most recent version of Minecraft.
min_engine_version [1, 16, 0] When present, players can set the minimm version needed to allow the JSON to be parsed. The version in the definition is compared to the engine version for which the top resource pack was built.
version [0, 0, 1] This is the version of the Scripting API that a behavior pack is authored against. It's also inside of the manifest.json for the pack, but is different from min_engine_version. It tells the scripting system which API bindings to use for any script code in the behavior pack.

The following sections contain the names of files in add-on packs that have version settings inside them.

To see all the files in each add-on pack, take a look at the Comprehensive Pack Contents article.

Versions in a Behavior Pack

Here is the introduction to behavior packs.

  • animation_controllers

  • animations

    • <entity_name>
      • <entity_name_animations>.json "format_version": "1.8.0"

  • blocks

    • <block_name>.json "format_version": "1.19.30"

  • cameras

    • presets
      • <identifier>.json "format_version": "1.19.50"

  • entities

    • <entity_name>.json "format_version": "1.19.30",

  • features

    • <feature>.json "format_version": "1.13.0"

  • feature_rules

    • <feature_rule>.json "format_version": "1.13.0"

  • [dialogue]

    • <scene_dialogue>
      • <scene>.json "format_version":"1.17"
    • manifest.json
    "format_version": 1,
"header": {
  "min_engine_version": [1, 12, 0],
   "version": [0, 0, 1]
},
"modules": 
  "version": [0, 0, 1]

  • items

    • <item_name>.json "format_version": "1.20.60"

  • spawn_rules

    • <entity_spawn_rules>.json "format_version": "1.8.0"

  • structures

    • <structure_name>.mcstructure "format_version": 1.13.0

  • manifest.json

    "format_version": 2,
"header": {
  "version": [1, 0, 0],
  "min_engine_version": [1, 16, 0]
},
"modules": [{
  "version": [1, 0, 0]
}],
"dependencies": [
{
"version":[1, 0, 0]
}]

Versions in a Resource Pack

Here is the introduction to resource packs.

  • animation_controllers
    • <entity_animation_controllers>.json "format_version": "1.10.0"
  • animations
    • <entity.animation>.json "format_version": "1.17.30"
  • attachables
    • <attachable_entity_name>.json "format_version": "1.19.80"
  • block_culling
    • <block_culling>.json "format_version": "1.20.60"
  • entity
    • <entity_name>
      • <entity_name>.json
      • "format_version": "1.10.0",
  • fogs
    • <location_fog_setting>.json
    • "format_version": "1.16.100",
  • items
    • <item_name>.json
    • "format_version": "1.20.60"
  • models [entity] - <entity>.geo.json - "format_version": "1.10.0"
  • particles
    • <item_name>.json
    • "format_version": "1.10.0"
  • render_controllers
    • <entity_render_controllers>.json' "format_version": "1.8.0"
    • default.render_controllers.json
  • biomes_client.json
    • version "format_version"
  • [blocks.json]
    • "format_version": "1.19.30"

Versions in Common Files

manifest.json

behavior_pack/manifest.json

{
  "format_version": 2,
  "header": {
    "version": [1, 0, 0],
    "min_engine_version": [1, 16, 0]
  },
  "modules":
    [
      {
          "version": [1, 0, 0]
      }
    ]
}

resource_pack.manifest.json

{
 "format_version": 2,
 "header": {
   "version": [1, 0, 0],
   "min_engine_version": [1, 16, 0]
  },
 "modules": [
   {
     "version": [1, 0, 0]
   }
 ]
}

skin_pack/manifest.json

{
  "header": {
    "version": [1, 0, 0],
  },
  "modules": [
    {
      "version": [1, 0, 0],
    }
  ],
  "format_version": 1
}

world_template/manifest.json

{
  "header": {
    "version": [1, 0, 0],
  },
  "modules": [
    {
      "version": [1, 0, 0],
    }
  ],
  "format_version": 2
}

dialogue/manifest.json taken from the NPC Dialogue page.

  "format_version":"1.17",

min_engine_version

(Taken from Client Entity Documentation)

When present, players can set the minimum version needed to allow the JSON to be parsed. The version in the definition is compared to the engine version for which the top resource pack was built. If a definition's min_engine_version is newer than that pack's engine version then the definition is not parsed. Multiple definition files may use the same identifier, in which case only one of those definitions will be loaded. The definition with the same or closest and not greater min_engine_version, as compared to the top resource pack's engine version, will be parsed; all other definitions with the same identifier will not be parsed.

This can be useful for continuing to support an older version of an entity, when an older resource pack is used at the top of the resource pack stack, while also supporting a newer version of the entity in all other cases.

min_engine_version is typically used to configure compatibility for content within behavior packs and resource packs. For example, the commands in manifest.json will run differently depending on the min_engine_version - the execute command as a completely different syntax if min_engine_version is the same or newer than 1.19.50.

For min_engine_version, we always recommend that creators use the version consistent with the latest version of Minecraft.

Script Module Version

This isn't used in vanilla Minecraft, but I would be remiss if I did not include a link to the article about Script Module Versioning.