🌍 Translations

CraftEngine has three translation systems for different use cases. They fall into two groups based on where the translation happens:

System	Tag	Where	Locale	Best for
i18n	<i18n:key>	Server	Server config	Console logs
l10n	<l10n:key>	Server	Per-player client setting	Messages, items, GUIs — anything players see
lang	<lang:key>	Client (resource pack)	Player's Minecraft language	Messages, items, GUIs — anything players see

---

i18n & l10n — Server-Side Translations

i18n and l10n share the same data source — the translations config section. The only difference is which language they use to look up the translation:

• i18n uses the server's language (set via forced-locale in config.yml, or the JVM default)
• l10n uses each player's client language setting

Configuration

Translations are configured under the translations section:

translations:
  en:
    item.chinese_lantern: "Chinese Lantern"
    item.fairy_flower: "Fairy Flower"
    item.bench: "Bench"
  zh_cn:
    item.chinese_lantern: "灯笼"
    item.fairy_flower: "仙灵花"
    item.bench: "长椅"

The locale key follows standard format: en, zh_cn, ko_kr, fr_fr, etc. Country/region is optional — if no exact match exists, the plugin falls back to the language-only variant (zh_cn → zh), then to en.

Usage

# i18n — everyone sees the same language (server's locale)
item_name: "<i18n:item.chinese_lantern>"

# l10n — each player sees their own language
item_name: "<l10n:item.chinese_lantern>"

Key difference in behavior: <i18n> resolves immediately on the server — the translated text is baked into the item. <l10n> keeps the raw tag in the item and resolves it when the packet is sent to each player, so different players see different languages.

tip

You can use <l10n> in messages and items from other plugins at the packet level. CraftEngine intercepts <l10n:key> tags and replaces them per-player.

---

lang — Client-Side Resource Pack Translations

The lang system writes translations directly into the resource pack (assets/minecraft/lang/*.json). Minecraft's client renders them natively — no server involvement at display time.

Configuration

lang:
  en_us:
    item.custom.palm_leaves: Palm Leaves
    item.custom.palm_log: Palm Log
  zh_cn:
    item.custom.palm_leaves: 棕榈树叶
    item.custom.palm_log: 棕榈原木

The locale format here is stricter than translations — it must match Minecraft's resource pack convention (en_us, zh_cn, ko_kr, not en, zh).

Usage

items:
  custom:translate:
    material: paper
    data:
      item_name: "<lang:item.custom.palm_log>"

The <lang:key> tag produces a TranslatableComponent — the client picks the translation based on the player's Minecraft language setting.

Block Names

Use the block_name: prefix to automatically generate correct translation keys for custom blocks:

lang:
  en_us:
    block_name:default:chinese_lantern: Chinese Lantern
    block_name:default:netherite_anvil: Netherite Anvil
  zh_cn:
    block_name:default:chinese_lantern: 灯笼
    block_name:default:netherite_anvil: 下界合金砧

The plugin converts block_name:default:chinese_lantern to the real block translation key (e.g., block.craftengine.custom_13), ensuring compatibility with CraftEngine Mod and server-side block translation plugins.

Overwriting All Languages

Use all to apply a translation to every language:

lang:
  all:
    container.inventory: ""

Important Notes

• en_us is Minecraft's fallback language. Always configure it when creating new keys.
• Any content change requires a resource pack reload to take effect.
• If you don't need the translation embedded in the resource pack, use l10n instead — it's more flexible and doesn't require a resource pack reload.