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  1. Minecraft: Java Edition
  2. MC-80856

Command syntax inconsistencies

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    • Icon: Bug Bug
    • Resolution: Fixed
    • Minecraft 17w45a
    • Minecraft 1.8.6, Minecraft 15w35b, Minecraft 1.9, Minecraft 1.9.1 Pre-Release 3, Minecraft 1.9.4, Minecraft 16w21a, Minecraft 1.11.2, Minecraft 17w14a, Minecraft 17w15a, Minecraft 17w17a, Minecraft 17w17b, Minecraft 1.12 Pre-Release 2
    • Confirmed

      I don't know if this is a valid report, but I hope so. Else I am pretty much fine with it, if you say it "Invalid" as long as your explanation would be this is a suggestion.

      Notes:

      It seems like the command syntax suggestions are inconsistent or irritating.

      Considering:

      • <arg> = argument
      • text = literal
      • [] = optional
        • [<arg>] = optional argument
        • [<arg1> <arg2>] = optional arguments, either both have to be provided or both have to be omitted
        • [text] = optional literal
      • | as or
        • text1|text2 = either text1 or text2 has to be provided literal

      Note: This implies that arguments never use one of these characters

      General

      achievement

      /achievement <give|take> <stat_name|*> [player]
      /achievement give|take <stat name>|* [<player>]
      

      Note: The underscore is not needed as it doesn't exactly uses an argument called "stat_name". However something like <stat or achievement> would make more sense as the /achievement command was mainly made to interact with achievements (I guess, see also MC-80826)

      ban

      /ban <name> [reason ...]
      /ban <name> [<reason ...>]
      

      ban-ip

      /ban-ip <address|name> [reason ...]
      /ban-ip <address|name> [<reason ...>]
      

      clear

      /clear [player] [item] [data] [maxCount] [dataTag]
      /clear [<player>] [<item>] [<data>] [<maxCount>] [<dataTag>]
      

      clone

      /clone <x1> <y1> <z1> <x2> <y2> <z2> <x> <y> <z> [maskMode] [cloneMode]
      /clone <x1> <y1> <z1> <x2> <y2> <z2> <x> <y> <z> [<maskMode>] [<cloneMode>]
      

      debug

      /debug <start|stop>
      /debug start|stop
      

      effect

      /effect <player> <effect> [seconds] [amplifier] [hideParticles] OR /effect <player> clear
      /effect <player> <effect> [<seconds>] [<amplifier>] [<hideParticles>] OR /effect <player> clear
      

      enchant

      /enchant <player> <enchantment ID> [level]
      /enchant <player> <enchantment ID> [<level>]
      

      fill (See also MC-80823)

      /fill <x1> <y1> <z1> <x2> <y2> <z2> <TileName> [dataValue] [oldBlockHandling] [dataTag]
      /fill <x1> <y1> <z1> <x2> <y2> <z2> <TileName> [<dataValue>] [<oldBlockHandling>] [<dataTag>]
      

      gamemode

      /gamemode <mode> [player]
      /gamemode <mode> [<player>]
      

      gamerule

      /gamerule <rule name> [<value>]
      

      give

      /give <player> <item> [amount] [data] [dataTag]
      /give <player> <item> [<amount>] [<data>] [<dataTag>]
      

      help

      /help [page|command name]
      /help [<page>|<command name>]
      

      kick

      /kick <player> [reason ...]
      /kick <player> [<reason ...>]
      

      kill

      /kill [player|entity]
      /kill [<player|entity>]
      

      particle

      /particle <name> <x> <y> <z> <xd> <yd> <zd> <speed> [count] [mode]
      /particle <name> <x> <y> <z> <xd> <yd> <zd> <speed> [<count>] [<mode>]
      

      Note: I assume the "d" means delta (or difference), however then it is inconsistent with the arguments dx, dy and dz from selectors

      playsound

      /playsound <sound> <source> <player> [x] [y] [z] [volume] [pitch] [minimumVolume]
      /playsound <sound> <source> <player> [<x>] [<y>] [<z>] [<volume>] [<pitch>] [<minimumVolume>]
      

      recipe

      /recipe <give|take> [player] <name|*>
      /recipe give|take <player> <name>|*
      

      replaceitem

      /replaceitem <entity|block> ...
      /replaceitem entity|block ...
      

      scoreboard

      /scoreboard <objectives|players|teams> ...
      /scoreboard objectives|players|teams ...
      

      setblock

      /setblock <x> <y> <z> <TileName> [dataValue] [oldBlockHandling] [dataTag]
      /setblock <x> <y> <z> <TileName> [<dataValue>] [<oldBlockHandling>] [<dataTag>]
      

      spawnpoint

      /spawnpoint [player] [<x> <y> <z>]
      /spawnpoint [<player>] [<x> <y> <z>]
      

      stats

      /stats <entity|block> ...
      /stats entity|block ...
      

      summon

      /summon <EntityName> [x] [y] [z] [dataTag]
      /summon <EntityName> [<x> <y> <z>] [<dataTag>]
      

      Note: For summon the current help is anyways incorrect as you cannot set only one coordinate, or at least it will have no impact on where the entity gets spawned

      testfor

      /testfor <player> [dataTag]
      /testfor <player> [<dataTag>]
      

      testforblock

      /testforblock <x> <y> <z> <TileName> [dataValue] [dataTag]
      /testforblock <x> <y> <z> <TileName> [<dataValue>] [<dataTag>]
      

      testforblocks

      /testforblocks <x1> <y1> <z1> <x2> <y2> <z2> <x> <y> <z> [mode]
      /testforblocks <x1> <y1> <z1> <x2> <y2> <z2> <x> <y> <z> [<mode>]
      

      time

      /time <set|add|query> <value>
      /time set|add|query <value>
      

      title

      /title <player> <title|subtitle|clear|reset|times> ...
      /title <player> title|subtitle|clear|reset|times ...
      

      tp

      /tp [target player] <destination player> OR /tp [target player] <x> <y> <z> [<y-rot> <x-rot>]
      /tp [<target player>] <destination player> OR /tp [<target player>] <x> <y> <z> [<y-rot> <x-rot>]
      

      trigger

      /trigger <objective> <add|set> <value>
      /trigger <objective> add|set <value>
      

      weather

      /weather <clear|rain|thunder> [duration in seconds]
      /weather clear|rain|thunder [<duration in seconds>]
      

      worldborder

      /worldborder <set|center|damage|warning|get|add> ...
      /worldborder set|center|damage|warning|get|add ...
      

      xp

      /xp <amount> [player] OR /xp <amount>L [player]
      /xp <amount> [<player>] OR /xp <amount>L [<player>]
      

      spreadplayers

      /spreadplayers <x> <z> <spreadDistance> <maxRange> <respectTeams true|false> <player ...>
      

      <respectTeams true|false> would mean either respectTeams true or false as value. That is not correct. Maybe something like this would make more sense:

      /spreadplayers <x> <z> <spreadDistance> <maxRange> <respectTeams> <player ...>
      

      See for example effect as there hideParticles is an argument as well

      Proof for the inconsistency

      For example the /execute command has this syntax:

      /execute <entity> <x> <y> <z> detect <x> <y> <z> <block> <data> <command>
      

      According to all the other commands it should look like this instead:

      /execute <entity> <x> <y> <z> <detect> <x> <y> <z> <block> <data> <command>
      

      Another example is the /achievement command:

      /achievement <give|take> <stat_name|*> [player]
      

      This would imply that the second argument is either stat_name or * which is not correct. It is a stat name or "*"

      Other problems

      Some arguments use "...". While that makes sense for commands like scoreboard as after each possible argument follow different other arguments, it does certainly not make sense for

      • /me
      • /tell

      The "..." have rather the function to indicate that multiple kinds of this argument can follow as used already for spreadplayers:

      /spreadplayers <x> <z> <spreadDistance> <maxRange> <respectTeams true|false> <player ...>
      /spreadplayers ~ ~ 1 2 false @p @e[type=!Player]
      

      This means however that the help for scoreboard teams join is incomplete:

      /scoreboard teams join <team> [player]
      /scoreboard teams join <team> [<player ...>]
      

      and

      /tell <player> <private message ...>
      /tell <player ...> <private message>
      

            dinnerbone [Mojang] Nathan Adams
            marcono1234 Marcono1234
            Votes:
            11 Vote for this issue
            Watchers:
            14 Start watching this issue

              Created:
              Updated:
              Resolved:
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