Playing Minecraft is a lot of fun, but the game is more engaging, entertaining, and educational when kids learn how to build mods—small programs that let them modify game elements and add content. This family-friendly guide teaches kids and parents how to create mods of different types, using the Minecraft Forge modding tool. No programming experience is needed. You’ll not only build some amazing mods with the book’s easy-to-follow instructions, but you’ll also learn how to work with Java, the same programming language that Minecraft uses. Why wait? Get started with computer programming and be more creative with Minecraft while you’re at it! This book will help you: Learn the fundamentals of Minecraft Forge and other tools, such as Eclipse Start out by building and testing a simple chat message mod Build cool mods that make things explode on contact, and help entities jump higher and climb walls Introduce new Minecraft content, including commands, blocks, items, and recipes and textures Work with Java fundamentals such as classes, methods, annotations, control structures, and arrays Learn techniques for creating your own mods This guide is based on workshops the authors deliver to kids around the world.

Minecraft is known as a platform for creativity, and with mods, players can take their gaming experience to another creative level. Mods, short for "modifications," are any software that change Minecraft's original content. Mods can make minor changes or change the entire world--it's all up to the player. Screenshots show mods in action, with STEM and coding sidebars providing additional information.

Join more than 100 million players in the online world of Minecraft Are you a Minecraft fanatic looking to mod your games? Hours of fun await! Minecraft Modding For Kids For Dummies teaches you how to mod in easy-to-do parts. Offering loads of helpful explanations and cool projects along the way, this friendly guide will have you advancing levels, keeping score, respawning players, building portals, creating an archery range—and much more—faster than you can say redstone! There's no denying that modding is cool. After all, it allows you to alter your Minecraft gaming world to constantly keep things new and fun. While it isn't incredibly difficult to learn to mod, it does take some practice. Luckily, Minecraft Modding For Kids For Dummies is here to help you build basic coding skills to make modding your games as easy as 1-2-3! The book is in full color and lies flat so you can look while you play Includes lifetime access to LearnToMod software with 3 months free access to a private Minecraft server Features larger print to make the text feel less daunting Offers next steps you can take if you want to learn even more about modding and coding If you're one of the millions of kids who play Minecraft every day, this hands-on guide gets you up and running fast with modding your favorite game!

Minecraft® is a registered trademark of Mojang Synergies / Notch Development AB. This book is not affiliated with or sponsored by Mojang Synergies / Notch Development AB. The easiest, quickest, most entertaining introduction to creating Minecraft mods in Java – updated to use the Spigot server for running your own Minecraft server and creating Minecraft mods Ideal for Minecraft users, young and old, who are new to programming Clear and friendly style assumes no prior programming knowledge Popular author Rogers Cadenhead breaks down Minecraft mods programming concepts and terms into short, easily understandable lessons Fun examples provide a step-by-step, hands-on experience that begins with simple tasks and gradually builds Master Minecraft modding and use Java to transform Minecraft’s worlds, tools, behavior, weapons, structures, mobs...everything! (Plus, you’ll learn some basic Java programming skills you can use anywhere.) Learn how to do what you want, the way you want, one incredibly easy step at a time. Modding Minecraft has never been this simple. This is the easiest, most practical beginner’s guide to creating killer Minecraft mods in Java... simple, reliable, full-color instructions for doing everything you really want to do. Here’s a small sample of what you’ll learn: Set up your Minecraft server and mod development tools Master Java basics every Minecraft modder needs to know Read, write, store, and change information throughout your mod Build mods that can make decisions and respond to player actions Understand object-oriented programming and the objects you can program in Minecraft Handle errors without crashing Minecraft Use threads to create mobs that can do many things at once Customize your mobs, and build on existing objects to write new mods Spawn new mobs, find hidden mobs, and make one mob ride another Dig holes and build structures Create projectile weapons and potion effects Learn Java programming while enhancing your favorite game Contents at a Glance Part I: Java from the Ground Up 1 Dig into Minecraft Programming with Java 2 Use NetBeans for Minecraft Programming 3 Create a Minecraft Mod 4 Start Writing Java Programs 5 Understand How Java Programs Work 6 Store and Change Information in a Mod 7 Use Strings to Communicate 8 Use Conditional Tests to Make Decisions 9 Repeat an Action with Loop

A hands-on introduction to coding that teaches you how to program bots to do cool things in the game you love--Minecraft! This book takes the robotic "turtle" method, and extends it to the 3D, interactive world of Minecraft. You've mined for diamonds, crafted dozens of tools, and built all sorts of structures--but what if you could program robots to do all of that for you in a fraction of the time? In Coding with Minecraft®, you'll create a virtual robot army with Lua, a programming language used by professional game developers. Step-by-step coding projects will show you how to write programs that automatically dig mines, collect materials, craft items, and build anything that you can imagine. Along the way, you'll explore key computer science concepts like data types, functions, variables, and more. Learn how to: - Program robots that make smart decisions with flow control - Reuse code so that your robots can farm any crop you want, including wheat, sugar cane, and even cacti! - Program a factory that generates infinite building supplies - Design an algorithm for creating walls and buildings of any size - Code yourself a pickaxe-swinging robotic lumberjack! - Create a robot that digs mine shafts with stairs so you can explore safely Bonus activities in each chapter will help you take your coding skills to the next level. By the end of the book, you'll understand how powerful coding can be and have plenty of robots at your beck and call.

This book introduces programmers to objects at a gradual pace. The syntax boxes are revised to show typical code examples rather than abstract notation. This includes optional example modules using Alice and Greenfoot. The examples feature annotations with dos and don'ts along with cross references to more detailed explanations in the text. New tables show a large number of typical and cautionary examples. New programming and review problems are also presented that ensure a broad coverage of topics. In addition, Java 7 features are included to provide programmers with the most up-to-date information.

This is a free, on-line textbook on introductory programming using Java. This book is directed mainly towards beginning programmers, although it might also be useful for experienced programmers who want to learn more about Java. It is an introductory text and does not provide complete coverage of the Java language. The text is a PDF and is suitable for printing or on-screen reading. It contains internal links for navigation and external links to source code files, exercise solutions, and other resources. Contents: 1) Overview: The Mental Landscape. 2) Programming in the Small I: Names and Things. 3) Programming in the Small II: Control. 4) Programming in the Large I: Subroutines. 5) Programming in the Large II: Objects and Classes. 6) Introduction to GUI Programming. 7) Arrays. 8) Correctness and Robustness. 9) Linked Data Structures and Recursion. 10) Generic Programming and Collection Classes. 11) Files and Networking. 12) Advanced GUI Programming. Appendices: Source Code for All Examples in this Book, and News and Errata.