User:Aeldrion/CommandGuide/Introduction to commands

The command system is a system that allows players to manipulate a Minecraft world without the use of mods. The first commands were added in Java Edition Classic 0.0.15a. Over the years, commands have gone throughout many changes and can now be used together to create impressive command contraptions. In this guide, I will explain how commands work and how you can make your own command creations.

'''Note: This guide is for Java Edition 1.14.4. Other versions and editions may be incompatible.'''

Understanding the command system
Commands are strings of text that can be executed to affect the world in different ways. There are different types of commands that do different things:  can teleport players and mobs,   can give items, etc. Every type of command has a specific syntax; if a command does not use the proper syntax, it will fail to execute.

Here is an example of a simple command that will give all players in the world a diamond: give @a minecraft:diamond

Commands can be executed from the chat by preceding them with a slash. Chat commands are very limited as they only allow players to execute commands punctually and not dynamically, and because the length of a command is limited by the maximum length of a chat message. There are however two options available for creating dynamical command contraptions: command blocks and data packs. We will see later what command blocks and data packs are, how they work and what we can do with them.

Version and edition
The command system hasn't always been the same and may change between versions. The syntax of some commands can be tweaked from a version to another, and commands can be added or removed. Therefore, a command that works in a specific version may not be able to run in a previous or future version. For example, a command that works in Java Edition 1.14 may not work in 1.13 and will most likely not work in 1.12. The command system isn't the same in all Minecraft editions either: a command that works on Java Edition may not work on Bedrock Edition.

Mods
The use of mods and plugins may interfere with commands in many ways. For example, some plugins replace a few commands by others of the same name. This guide is only for vanilla Minecraft. "Vanilla" means the game is not modified by any mod or plugin; if you encounter any issue while playing with mods, try to reproduce the issue in a vanilla environment.