As one of the most successful video games of all time, Minecraft generates many different questions and opinions. One of those relates to how many lines of code there are in the game.
We’re going to be honest with you. We’ve not counted how many lines of code make up Minecraft. We’re far too busy preparing our new Minecraft tech camps… but what we did do for you, was see what the Internet says about it.
It turns out that the answer to this question is not as straightforward as you might hope.
Some estimates state that Minecraft has around 1.8 million lines of code. However, this number will vary depending on how the lines of code have been counted. Other sources we found claim that the latest version of Minecraft has between 200,000 to 500,000 lines of code.
We did find one source who had decompiled Minecraft’s code found 285,000 lines of code. We can’t confirm which version that was, and when though.
Will we ever know the exact number of lines of code in the Minecraft game?
Perhaps not. Minecraft is closed-source software, so it’s not currently possible to say with complete certainty how many lines of code is in it.
The differing opinions on how many lines of code are in Minecraft
One of the most common claims found online, is that Minecraft has 4.8 billion lines of code. This is not true and originates from splash text on the game’s title screen, which occasionally shows the message “4815162342 lines of code!” This is actually a reference to the TV series “Lost” and has nothing to do with the actual number of lines of code in Minecraft.
Despite there not being an exact number in the public domain, it is clear that Minecraft’s codebase is very large, particularly when you compare it to the average video game, which has around half a million lines of code.
The reason Minecraft has so many lines of code is due to its ever evolving nature, with new features and content being added regularly.
More on the code used in Minecraft
Minecraft’s codebase is closed source, meaning that the source code is not available to the public. Despite this, there is still some information in the public domain as to how Minecraft is coded which gives hints as to rough guesses on how many lines of code it contains.
The game is primarily coded in Java, and the codebase is then divided into different modules or packages. Each individual codebase is responsible for a different part of the game. For example, there are packages for rendering graphics, handling player input, and managing game logic.
In addition to Java, Minecraft also uses some of third-party libraries and APIs to handle various tasks. For example, LWJGL (Lightweight Java Game Library) for graphics and input, and JInput for controller support.
This code is the backbone of Minecraft and can be modified and manipulated in countless ways, meaning players to create everything from simple structures to complex machines and systems.
In fact, at FunTech we teach kids how to take advantage of this, with our Minecraft coding classes.
The benefits of learning to code with Minecraft
Learning to code with Minecraft has many benefits.
The real key to teaching a child coding is finding the right motivation. Minecraft offers that as it combines a fun game they love, with a gentle introduction to coding functionality.
The way Minecraft engrosses kids can be used to help engage them to learn about something useful in a fun way that doesn’t feel like work.
When learning to code with the game, kids can open up a whole new world of possibilities. It lets them to create their own mods, plugins, and custom game modes, and then even share their creations with others in the Minecraft community.
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