Trainer's Handbook pages

The in-game Trainer's Handbook is a client resource. Each JSON file under assets/<namespace>/books/ in a resource pack (or a mod's own assets) defines one category — it does not belong in a server datapack. Fabric and NeoForge clients load the same files.

{
  "id": "02_getting_started",
  "name": "book.brecher_trainers.category.getting_started",
  "icon": "minecraft:book",
  "pages": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "title": "book.brecher_trainers.start.requirements.title",
      "body": "book.brecher_trainers.start.requirements.body"
    }
  ]
}

Category IDs must be unique and non-blank. Categories are sorted lexicographically by ID; the numeric prefixes in the bundled files define their normal chapter order. Pages keep their array order. A table_of_contents page may provide a categories array, which is rendered in that exact order. Missing and repeated IDs are omitted and logged.

Page types

• text: optional title translation key and required non-blank body key.
• item_showcase: optional title and description keys plus a non-empty items array of item resource locations.
• crafting_hint: optional title and description keys, a result item, and a non-empty ingredients array. This is a compact hint, not a shaped-recipe replacement; keep it synchronized with the real recipe.
• image: optional title and caption keys plus an image resource location. Bundled handbook images are 114 by 100 PNG files under textures/gui/book/; matching that logical size avoids resource-pack scaling surprises.
• table_of_contents: optional title and categories.

Unknown page types display the handbook's unsupported-page fallback.

Reading and reloading

Long text pages scroll with the mouse wheel or the Up/Down keys; at the top or bottom, the same wheel gesture resumes normal page navigation. Previous/next arrows, Page Up/Page Down, Home and End provide linear keyboard navigation. Page titles and content are also exposed to the narrator.

Reload publication is atomic: readers see either the old or the new handbook. Invalid categories are skipped with a warning. If a non-empty reload contains no valid category at all, the last working handbook is retained; an actually empty resource set clears it.

Checklist for new pages

1. Add every displayed string to your pack's language file (e.g. en_us.json).
2. Check image and item resource locations, category references, and the actual recipes or commands described by the text.
3. Open the handbook on both loaders and check long text, tooltips, resizing, keyboard navigation, and narration.