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Rubric

A multi-loader Minecraft mod configuration library.

What it is

Rubric defines your mod's config as an annotated class (or a programmatic builder), loads and saves it in the format you pick, validates the values, migrates old files forward, and — when the config is server-authoritative — synchronizes it between the server and connected clients. It does everything a config library should do.

It does not draw the settings screen itself.

Why it's the way it is

The most popular Fabric config-GUI library — YetAnotherConfigLib (YACL) — was originally pitched as a configuration library. Over time it grew into a full framework: it draws the screens, and it also defines how configs get declared, loaded, and stored. The GUI half became the dominant reason people install it, and the library half never quite settled into something you'd reach for on its own.

Rubric picks up the library half. It stops before the screen and defers rendering to whichever GUI library the user already has installed:

• YetAnotherConfigLib (YACL)
• Cloth Config
• More frontends possible via the ScreenProvider SPI.

If neither is installed, Rubric still loads and saves the config on disk — the in-game screen falls back to a placeholder that tells the user which frontend to install and where the config file lives.

Sections

• Installation — end users, mod developers, and Gradle catalog snippets.
• Quick Start — annotated config class + one bootstrap call.
• Concepts — the vocabulary: Schema, Entry, Category, ValueTree, Snapshot, Sync scope, Reload tier.
• Annotations — reference for every annotation.
• Builder API — programmatic config definition when annotations don't fit.
• Formats — TOML, JSON, JSON5; how to pick and wire the right adapter.
• Sync — server-authoritative model, Scope.CLIENT/SERVER/COMMON, edit permissions.
• Migration — versioned config upgrades.
• Validation — correct-and-log philosophy, custom validators.
• Events — subscribing to config changes.
• Frontends — how the GUI layer plugs in.
• Frontend comparison — YACL vs. Cloth, feature matrix + notes.
• Self-config — the knobs Rubric itself exposes.
• FAQ
• Troubleshooting

Status

Early. APIs may shift before 1.0. Existing users should watch the changelog on version bumps.