You can now create Minecraft mods using Java in Visual Studio

By Williams Pelegrin April 30, 2015

minecraft modding visual studio java add in minecraftmoddingbuild — Image used with permission by copyright holder

During its BUILD developer conference, Microsoft announced that you can now create Minecraft mods in Visual Studio using Java, thanks to a new add-in.

The new add-in was demoed by 17-year-old Aidan Brady, a high school student best known for his popular Mekanism mod for Minecraft. With tweaks of a few lines of code, Brady was able to create bigger explosions for TNT items in the game. The modding tools are included in the Intellisense tool within Visual Studio, though the tool won’t replace the already-available Eclipse tool.

Since schools already use Minecraft as a programming teaching tool for students, the goal is for students to learn how to use Visual Studio and, as a side effect, learn how to create Minecraft mods. Because there is now a path between Visual Studio and Minecraft, Microsoft’s larger goal seems to be for young programmers to get interested in and comfortable with programming, especially when Microsoft is actively looking for new developers for Windows 10.

According to Microsoft’s Briana Roberts, this new tool will not only let you create your own Minecraft mods, but it will also allow you to use templates created by other modders and add onto them. If you’re one of those students, or you just like messing around with Minecraft, the Visual Studio add-in is currently available as a free download.

Today’s announcement goes in tandem with yesterday’s announcement of Visual Studio Code, a free tool for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux that allows developers to more easily work on modern Web applications built in JavaScript, TypeScript, ASP.NET 5, and other modern computer languages. Also announced during BUILD 2015, Visual Studio Code lets you work on these applications without the need to jump head-first into the full Visual Studio suite, which remains exclusive to Windows.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Williams Pelegrin

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…

Computing

These are the 10 best gaming PCs I’d recommend to anyone

Graphics card in the CLX Hathor PC.

We review dozens of gaming PCs each year. In 2024, there are a ton of great options, but we've narrowed them down to a list of the 10 best gaming desktops that deserve your hard-earned money.

In 2024, we still recommend the Alienware Aurora R16 because of its fantastic design, solid performance, and decent value. However, there are several other options depending on your needs and budget. If you want a deeper look into how we evaluate gaming PCs, make sure to read about how we review desktops.

Computing

Samsung’s crazy 57-inch curved 4K monitor is $700 off today

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 57-inch mini-LED gaming monitor placed on a desk.

Your investment in gaming PC deals will go to waste if you don't upgrade your screen, and if you're willing to splurge for the best possible gaming experience, you'll want to go for the 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 curved gaming monitor. It's pretty expensive at its original price of $2,500, so you're going to want to take advantage of any discounts that are available. Fortunately, Samsung has slashed its price by $700 so it's down to $1,800 -- it's still not cheap, but once you're playing your favorite games on this monitor, you'll quickly understand why it's worth every single penny.

Why you should buy the 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 curved gaming monitor
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 curved gaming monitor features a 57-inch screen with dual 4K Ultra HD resolution and a 1000R curvature, so it will fully immerse you in the worlds of the video games that you play with its lifelike details and vivid colors. It also supports HDR 1000 for better visual accuracy, and it uses Quantum Matrix technology for controlled brightness and improved contrast.

Gaming

Nintendo Switch 2: release date rumors, features we want, and more

Prime Day Nintendo Switch Deals

Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 (or Switch Pro) have been circulating for years. Whispers of the next-gen Nintendo console first started when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was initially teased in 2019, gained steam when the Switch OLED launched in 2021, and are increasing now that the standard Switch has been out for six years.

There's no doubt that the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console -- it has a unique and impressive game library (with more upcoming games slated for this year), the number of features included with Nintendo Switch Online is constantly improving, and it's still our favorite portable console -- but it isn't without its flaws. There's enough room for improvement to warrant an entirely new console in the near future. Nintendo recently announced that we wouldn't see a Switch upgrade in the next fiscal year, meaning the absolute earliest we get a look at a new Nintendo console would be in late 2024.