Feature Request: Option to Install Fabric API

[dexman545]

Description: Some option to automatically install Fabric API when installing Fabric Loader, as most users will be using it, and will help alleviate confusion of those who simply click "Install Fabric" and expect mods to work when installed.

[peterix]

Sounds like a good idea, yeah.

Or at least, make it super easy.

[kb-1000]

Would it automatically add Fabric loader too?

[dexman545]

Would it automatically add Fabric loader too?

I would assume so, unless you have a way fo using FAPI without it.

[modmuss50]

I disagree with this idea due to a few reasons:

• Not everyone installs fabric api, a large proprotion of players just install a few mods (usually peformace enchancing) that dont require fabric api. My guess is less than 50% of players use it.
• There is no easy way to tell what version of fabric should be installed, there are some solutions to this, but none of them are 100% accurate. (Newer versions can work on older mc versions, such as 1.16.5/4/3/2)
• Fabric API has always been designed to just be a normal mod, we have gone out of our way to ensure that fabric api has no special treatment. There are a number of other mods (forge or fabric) that "most" people install why shouldnt they get their own button?

I see some possible solutions to this issue from both sides (MultiMC / Fabric), this is by no means an exhaustive list and I am all ears for other ideas. :

• MultiMC to have a way to download and install mods + dependencies.
• Fabric mods could start to include the fabric api modules they require in the jar, removing the need to even have a standalone distrubition of fabric api.

I know these solutions are a lot easier said than done, but I think we should try to work towards the ideal solution, and not towards something temporary that will do for now.

We have already started making steps to improving the error message people see by going ahead and changing the mod id from fabric to fabric-api. This clearly isnt a fix but might help reduce confusion.

[dexman545]

I disagree with this idea due to a few reasons:

• Not everyone installs fabric api, a large proprotion of players just install a few mods (usually peformace enchancing) that dont require fabric api. My guess is less than 50% of players use it.

If you have actual numbers, please share them.

• There is no easy way to tell what version of fabric should be installed, there are some solutions to this, but none of them are 100% accurate. (Newer versions can work on older mc versions, such as 1.16.5/4/3/2)

There are ways to improve the accuracy of this, though it seems unlikely that fabric would provide or maintain them.

• Fabric API has always been designed to just be a normal mod, we have gone out of our way to ensure that fabric api has no special treatment. There are a number of other mods (forge or fabric) that "most" people install why shouldnt they get their own button?

The mods you refer to are often optional. Fabric API is not. Fabric API does get special treatment anyways - and why shouldn't it? It's one of the few official mods provided by FabricMC, and it is also one of the few that mod authors can trust to exist in the future. The fact that mods can be made without it is already good enough.

I see some possible solutions to this issue from both sides (MultiMC / Fabric), this is by no means an exhaustive list and I am all ears for other ideas. :

• MultiMC to have a way to download and install mods + dependencies.

Would be nice, but not needed for this to be implemented.

• Fabric mods could start to include the fabric api modules they require in the jar, removing the need to even have a standalone distrubition of fabric api.

Yes, more special treatment for Fabric API (how many dependencies get JiJed?). And the inflation of mod file sizes for oft redundant modules in the context of many mods. I doubt you would convince many mods to do this.
Take resource loader, the most likely module to be JiJed - it is 30kb in size. For something like AoF 3 that's an extra 3 mb.
For something like curseforge modpacks, "cleaning/decompressing" mods of duplicate JiJs is impossible.

I know these solutions are a lot easier said than done, but I think we should try to work towards the ideal solution, and not towards something temporary that will do for now.

We have already started making steps to improving the error message people see by going ahead and changing the mod id from fabric to fabric-api. This clearly isnt a fix but might help reduce confusion.

While this helps, that is only in the case of mods depending on the bundle, and not the individual modules (which is the recommended method iirc?)

There is little harm in letting MMC provide an option to download FAPI.

[jamierocks]

If you have actual numbers, please share them.

I don't have numbers - but there is a large community that merely used Fabric Loader for using optimisation mods.

The mods you refer to are often optional. Fabric API is not.

There are plenty of mods that have hard dependencies to others.

There is little harm in letting MMC provide an option to download FAPI.

It sets a poor precedent. It ties MMC to CurseForge, since that's Fabric API's distribution method. I also can't see the UX of this would work nicely either.

I concur with modmuss, the ideal feature here would be to install mods.

[kb-1000]

It sets a poor precedent. It ties MMC to CurseForge, since that's Fabric API's distribution method. [...]

Not anymore. It is available both on GitHub Releases and on Modrinth.
Those are platforms which at least have APIs that are designed to be APIs, and not just reverse engineered stuff.

[ScaredWhitless]

If you have actual numbers, please share them.

I don't have numbers - but there is a large community that merely used Fabric Loader for using optimisation mods.

Ummm fabric api is the 8th most installed fabric 1.16.5 mod on curseforge and some of the mods that have more downloads also have forge versions dating back to 2015

P.S. you(jamierocks) and modmuss50 are sounding VERY toxic

[jamierocks]

Ummm then why is fabric api the 8th most installed fabric 1.16.5 mod on curseforge and some of the mods that have more downloads also have forge versions dating back to 2015

Frankly I shouldn't have replied to that comment, it really doesn't matter.

Fabric API is a mod and MultiMC isn't in the business of installing mods (whether that's JEI, Fabric API, etc) in the same sense as it does mod loaders - nor do we have a mods browser (see GH-3422).

P.S. you(jamierocks) and modmuss50 are sounding VERY toxic

I'm not going to go down that road (though I don't understand or like the implication), but do note that modmuss is the maintainer of Fabric - and we're both some of the earliest contributors to the (Fabric) project...

[ScaredWhitless]

Ummm then why is fabric api the 8th most installed fabric 1.16.5 mod on curseforge and some of the mods that have more downloads also have forge versions dating back to 2015

Frankly I shouldn't have replied to that comment, it really doesn't matter.

Fabric API is a mod and MultiMC isn't in the business of installing mods (whether that's JEI, Fabric API, etc) in the same sense as it does mod loaders - nor do we have a mods browser (see GH-3422).

P.S. you(jamierocks) and modmuss50 are sounding VERY toxic

I'm not going to go down that road (though I don't understand or like the implication), but do note that modmuss is the maintainer of Fabric - and we're both some of the earliest contributors to the (Fabric) project...

Yes I know What I said was wrong and I'm very sorry I will not try to excuse what I said and I really truly apologize to both you and modmuss sometimes I forget that accounts on the internet are real people and I will take responsibility for that and I know that I was the one being toxic not you two one again I am very sorry for what I said and I hope you can forgive me.

And I do agree that weather or not I see it differently than you two I shouldn't have said what I said and kept my opinion about fabric api to myself instead of being toxic about it.

P.S. I wont edit my original comment about this just because I believe that if you say something bad on the internet it should stay up so that people have all the facts about you and just because you apologize it won't change what you have said and I want that to be true for me too

[RJWadley]

One possible way for this to work would be as a checkbox on the fabric version selection screen, something like "Automatically download Fabric API (common mod dependency)"
If the box is checked fetch the API corresponding to the selected version

One advantage of this "Fabric version checkbox" approach is it keeps the main version UI uncluttered (It already has so many buttons). However, this makes it harder to install Fabric API if Fabric Loader has already been installed.

Alternatively, If we were to implement this as a button in the main list it should be hidden unless Fabric is installed (and probably disappear if Fabric API is installed).
An advantage of this is that it's simple for all instances, even if Fabric Loader has already been installed. This approach does add another button to the long list, but only on Fabric instances that don't have the API.

[mrmelon54]

It could at least be a button that opens the fabric api project on curseforge and lets the user download it on their own

[tort-oise]

It sets a poor precedent. It ties MMC to CurseForge, since that's Fabric API's distribution method. [...]

Not anymore. It is available both on GitHub Releases and on Modrinth.

Those are platforms which at least have APIs that are designed to be APIs, and not just reverse engineered stuff.

It feels like this got buried, and I second this. GH's API could be set up to download the latest release, or alternatively a separate window could appear that lets you select a Fabric API version (eg. choosing between newer snapshot versions and stable release version) like when you choose the Fabric loader versions.