Using Forge 1.8-11.14.0.1281 (Beta)

Ive tried making my own class which extends CreativeTabs as it gives me an error "Cannot instantiate the type CreativeTabs" if i try it the normal way.

This is that class:

public class MbmCreativeTab extends CreativeTabs{

private Item tabIcon;

public MbmCreativeTab(String label) {
	super(CreativeTabs.getNextID(), label.toLowerCase());
	// TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
}

public MbmCreativeTab SetTabIconItem(Item icon){
	tabIcon=icon;
	return this;
}
@Override
@SideOnly(Side.CLIENT)
    public Item getTabIconItem()
    {
        return tabIcon;
    }

}

So in a separate reference (ModCreativeTabs)file I use this

public static final MbmCreativeTab MBM_TAB = new MbmCreativeTab(Reference.MBMTAB_NAME).SetTabIconItem(ModItems.hammer);

Which makes a tab appear in creative on the second page as expected.

I thought that all I had to do with items was call within each item class

this.setCreativeTab(ModCreativeTabs.MBM_TAB);

to make items appear in that creativeTab yet the only item that appears in it is a block.

The items DO appear when I put them in the regular CreativeTabs.tabMisc so I am confused why it won't work.

For 1.8 make the creative tab in the main mod file. This makes thing a lot easier.

You don't need to have the creative tabs in the main mod file it's just that all you need to get a creative tab is

 public static final CreativeTabs TEST_TAB = new CreativeTabs(MOD_ID+"test") {//best to have mod id in name so that it is YOUR tab
        public Item getTabIconItem() {
            return item //returns item or block you want as the icon though for block you need  to use Item.getItemFromBlock(block)
        }

        public String getTranslatedTabLabel() {
            return "test tab"; //name of the tab you want to display when hovering
        }
    }

and you should have a creative tab and you don't need to extend CreativeTabs

Ty Voltab that fixed it, didn't think I could directly make a new CreativeTabs.

Also your answer is still in 1.7 syntax as the new CreativeTabs requires an int too and the getTranslatedTabLabel() isn't needed as long as you have the itemGroup.*name*=bla in your lang file

Thanks for the heads up about the 1.8 syntax had not known about that but it is best to have Minecraft automatically assign tab index so that it doesn't clash with other mods