I was making a color changing collar for my entity, similar to wolf, and I took the dye item stack in the players hand used the EnumDyeColor.byMetaData() method and found that it was mixing up the colors -- it would do orange when I was holding red, it would do lime when holding magenta. Looking at the EnumDyeColor class I see that they have tables for both looking up dye color by meta and by damage and they are inverted. So my solution is obviously to use the byDyeDamage() method which works, but it made me curious as to why they have both.

 

For example, the DyeUtils getColorFromStack() method uses the byMetaDAta() method which is why I initially tried that. But that actually returns the wrong value if you're holding dye ...

 

I see both methods are used throughout the code. Is there any guideline as to when to use which? 

Edited September 7, 20178 yr by jabelar

Okay, but I assume that the fact that they are backwards was a mistake someone made along the way? Or someone was trying to do something clever with bit-wise operations? 

 

Even the DyeUtils methods really aren't commented clearly. The getColorFromStack() method doesn't mention that it only works for things that have been dyed and not for dyes themselves.

 

And the words "metadata" and "damage value" are often used interchangeably. Even in the link you sent for the block colors calls it the "damage value"...

 

Oh well, part of the fun of modding is finding these little nuances in the code.