Item

Items are objects which only exist within the player's inventory and hands - i.e., they cannot be placed in the game world. Some items simply place blocks or entities into the game world when used. They are thus an item when in the inventory and a block when placed. Some examples of objects which exhibit these properties are item frames, which turn into an entity when placed, and beds, which turn into a group of blocks when placed. When equipped, items and blocks briefly display their names above the HUD.

Items use item IDs while blocks use block IDs.

Types

 * Materials are used for crafting, farming or brewing and can be obtained by mining, crafting, smelting, trading, killing mobs or found in reward chests.


 * Food is found or crafted by the player and eaten to regain hunger points.


 * Potions are craftable and drinkable (or throwable) items that confer specific effects. Producing them requires resources from The Nether. In order to create a splash potion, you need to add gunpowder to any normal potion. This change cannot be reversed.


 * Tools are used for a variety of purposes:
 * The "pole tools" (axe, pickaxe, shovel, hoe) are mostly used to break blocks faster than mining by hand, and are required in order to retrieve resources from some blocks. The exception is the hoe, which converts dirt into farmland for growing crops.
 * Buckets are used to transport liquids such as milk, lava, and water.
 * Fishing rods allow the player to go fishing, as well as to pull mobs closer.
 * Flint and steel is used to set flammable blocks on fire (for varying periods of time) or to create a Nether Portal. A fire charge also has the same effect, but is a ranged projectile as opposed to a tool.
 * Shears are used to collect wool from sheep, string from cobwebs, mushrooms from mooshrooms, tall grass, leaves, and vines. They can also be used to collect tripwire without generating a redstone charge.


 * Informative items, consisting of maps, compasses and clocks, assist the player in navigating the world and telling time respectively. Also, books and quills and signs can be used to write down information.


 * Weapons (swords, bows, arrows) are used to defend the player from hostile mobs, or to kill passive mobs for food and materials.


 * Armor protects the player from several types of damage (mobs/players, lava, explosions, being on fire, etc.). A full set of armor is composed of a helmet, a chestplate, a pair of leggings, and a pair of boots.


 * Vehicles, (minecarts, saddles, carrots on sticks and boats) allow the player or items to travel over land or water with relative speed and ease. Minecarts can also be used to store and pick up items or activate redstone circuitry.


 * Utility are used for miscelleaneous purposes. For example, logic components in redstone circuits or ingredients in brewing/enchanting.


 * Decorations are items that only have aesthetic uses.