Container Structure

Top-Level Keys#

Key	Required	Purpose	Reference
Type	No	Selects the inventory type; defaults to CHEST when Layout is present	Type
Title	No	Sets the inventory title; defaults to KaMenu	Title
Settings	No	Dependency checks, click throttling, and argument rules	Settings
References	No	Shared text and templates for the current menu	Menu References
Layout	Yes	Maps buttons to physical slots	Layout
Free-Slots	No	Named slots that accept or return real player-owned items	Free Slots
Buttons	No	Defines buttons referenced by Layout; may be omitted for an entirely empty layout	Buttons
Properties	No	Furnace progress, anvil input, and other type-specific values	Properties
Update	No	Refreshes the entire container on an interval	Refresh
Title-Update	No	Refreshes only the title	Refresh
Progress-Update	No	Refreshes furnace progress and evaluates progress events	Refresh
Events	No	Open, close, reusable click groups, tasks, and progress events	Events

Configuration Hierarchy#

Type: CHEST                    # Inventory type
Title: '&8Menu title'          # Top inventory title
Settings:                       # Prerequisites, throttle, and arguments
References:                     # Optional shared text and templates
Layout:                         # Slot layout; always required
Free-Slots:                     # Optional real-item interaction slots
Update: 20                      # Optional full refresh interval in ticks
Title-Update: 40                # Optional title refresh interval in ticks
Progress-Update: 5              # Optional furnace progress interval in ticks
Properties:                     # Optional furnace/anvil fields
Events:                         # Optional lifecycle and action groups
Buttons:                        # Optional buttons referenced by Layout

Recommended authoring order:

1. Select the inventory and slot dimensions with Type.
2. Place each button in a physical slot with Layout.
3. Define Buttons.<id>.display.material for every ID referenced by the layout.
4. For player-owned inputs, leave the Layout slot empty and bind it under Free-Slots.
5. Add click interaction under Buttons.<id>.actions.
6. Add Settings, Properties, refresh fields, and Events only when needed.

Complete Skeleton#

Type: CHEST
Title: '&8Container Menu'

Settings:
  need_placeholder:
    - player
  min_click_delay: 200

References:
  product_name: '&bProduct'

Update: 20
Title-Update: 40

Layout:
  - '#########'
  - '####`shop`####'
  - '#########'

Events:
  Open:
    - 'actionbar: &aMenu opened'

Buttons:
  '#':
    display:
      material: GRAY_STAINED_GLASS_PANE
      name: ' '
  shop:
    display:
      material: DIAMOND
      name: '{ref:product_name}'
    actions:
      left:
        - 'close'

Use {ref:path} to read shared values from References. Container buttons may also use {self:id} and {self:<field-path>} to read their own node. See Menu References for the complete rules.

Body, Inputs, and Bottom are Dialog sections and cannot be added to a Container file. Common events, actions, and conditions are documented under Events, Actions, and Conditions.

Layout is the only top-level key that every Container menu must define. All other keys are optional. A useful menu normally includes a valid layout and definitions for every button ID referenced by that layout.