---
title: Node and Item Callbacks
layout: default
root: ../..
idx: 2.15
description: Learn about callbacks, actions, and events, including on_use, on_punch, on_place, on_rightclick
---

## Introduction  <!-- omit in toc -->

Minetest heavily uses a callback-based modding design. A callback is a function
that you give to an API and is called when an event happens. For example, you
can provide an `on_punch` function in a node definition to be called when a player
punches a node. There are also global callbacks like
`minetest.register_on_punchnode` to receive events for all nodes.

- [Item Callbacks](#item-callbacks)
  - [on_use](#on_use)
  - [on_place and on_secondary_use](#on_place-and-on_secondary_use)
  - [on_drop](#on_drop)
  - [after_use](#after_use)
- [item_place vs place_item](#item_place-vs-place_item)
- [Node Callbacks](#node-callbacks)
  - [Right-clicking and placing a node](#right-clicking-and-placing-a-node)
  - [Punching and digging](#punching-and-digging)
  - [...and more!](#and-more)


## Item Callbacks

When a player has a node, craftitem, or tool in their inventory, they may trigger
certain events:

| Callback         | Default binding           | Default value                                |
|------------------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| on_use           | left-click                | nil                                          |
| on_place         | right-click on a node     | `minetest.item_place`                        |
| on_secondary_use | right-click not on a node | `minetest.item_secondary_use` (does nothing) |
| on_drop          | Q                         | `minetest.item_drop`                         |
| after_use        | digging a node            | nil                                          |


### on_use

Having a use callback prevents the item from being used to dig nodes. One common
use of the use callback is for food:

```lua
minetest.register_craftitem("mymod:mudpie", {
    description = "Alien Mud Pie",
    inventory_image = "myfood_mudpie.png",
    on_use = minetest.item_eat(20),
})
```

The number supplied to the minetest.item_eat function is the number of hit
points healed when this food is consumed. Each heart icon the player has is
worth two hitpoints. A player can usually have up to 10 hearts, which is equal
to 20 hitpoints.

minetest.item_eat() is a function that returns a function, setting it as the
on_use callback. This means the code above is equivalent to this:

```lua
minetest.register_craftitem("mymod:mudpie", {
    description = "Alien Mud Pie",
    inventory_image = "myfood_mudpie.png",
    on_use = function(...)
        return minetest.do_item_eat(20, nil, ...)
    end,
})
```

By understanding how item_eat works by simply returning a function, it's
possible to modify it to do more complex behaviour like playing a custom sound.


### on_place and on_secondary_use

The difference between `on_place` and `on_secondary_use` is that `on_place` is
called when the player is pointing at a node and `on_secondary_use` when the
player isn't.

Both callbacks are called for all types of items. `on_place` defaults to the
`minetest.item_place` function, which handles calling the `on_rightclick`
callback of the pointed node or placing the wielded item if it is a node.


### on_drop

on_drop is called when the player requests to drop an item, for example using
the drop key (Q) or dragging it outside of the inventory. It defaults to the
`minetest.item_drop` function, which will handle dropping the item.


### after_use

`after_use` is called when digging a node and allows you to customise how wear
is applied to a tool. If after_use doesn't exist, then it is the same as:

```lua
after_use = function(itemstack, user, node, digparams)
    itemstack:add_wear(digparams.wear)
    return itemstack
end
```


## item_place vs place_item

Minetest's API includes many different built-in callback implementations for you
to use. These callbacks are named with the item type first, for example,
`minetest.item_place` and `minetest.node_dig`. Some callback implementations are
used directly whereas some are functions that return the callback:

```lua
minetest.register_item("mymod:example", {
    on_place = minetest.item_place,
    on_use = minetest.item_eat(10),
})
```

Minetest's API also includes built-in functions that _do_ something. These are
often named in a confusingly similar way to built-in callback implementations
but have the verb first. Examples include `minetest.place_item` and
`minetest.dig_node` - these functions allow you to dig and place nodes with a
similar effect to players.


## Node Callbacks

When a node is in an inventory, it uses Item Callbacks, as discussed above. When
a node is placed in the world, it uses Node Callbacks. There are quite a lot of
node callbacks, too many to discuss in this book. However, quite a few of them
will be talked about later in the book.

Several of the callbacks are related to node operations such as placing and
removing from the world. It's important to note that node operation callbacks
like these aren't called from bulk changes - those that set a large number of
nodes at once - for performance reasons. Therefore, you can't rely on these
callbacks to always be called.


### Right-clicking and placing a node

When the user right-clicks with an item whilst pointing at a node, the item's
`on_place` callback is called. By default, this is set to `minetest.item_place`.
If the pointed node has an `on_rightclick` callback and sneak (shift) is held,
then the `on_rightclick` callback is called. Otherwise, `minetest.item_place`
will place the node.

Placing a node will call both `on_construct` and `after_place_node`.
`on_construct` is called by any node set event that wasn't in bulk and is just
given the node's position and value .`after_place_node` is only called by node
place, and so has more information - such as the placer and itemstack.

It's important to note that players aren't the only objects that can place
nodes; it's common for mobs and mods to place nodes. To account for this,
`placer` could be a player, entity, or nil.

```lua
minetest.register_node("mymod:mynode", {
    on_rightclick = function(pos, node, clicker, itemstack, pointed_thing),
        if clicker:is_player() then
            minetest.chat_send_player(clicker:get_player_name(), "Hello world!")
        end
    end,
    on_construct = function(pos, node)
        local meta = minetest.get_meta(pos)
        meta:set_string("infotext", "My node!")
    end,
    after_place_node = function(pos, placer, itemstack, pointed_thing)
        -- Make sure to check placer
        if placer and placer:is_player() then
            local meta = minetest.get_meta(pos)
            meta:set_string("owner", placer:get_player_name())
        end
    end,
})
```

### Punching and digging

Punching is when the player left-clicks for a short period. If the wielded item
has an `on_use` callback, this will be called. Otherwise, the `on_punch`
callback on the pointed node will be called.

When the player attempts to dig a node, the `on_dig` callback on the node will be called.
This defaults to `minetest.node_dig`, which will check for area protection, wear
out the tool, remove the node, and run the `after_dig_node` callback.


```lua
minetest.register_node("mymod:mynode", {
    on_punch = function(pos, node, puncher, pointed_thing)
        if clicker:is_player() then
            minetest.chat_send_player(clicker:get_player_name(), "Ow!")
        end
    end,
})
```

### ...and more!

Check out Minetest's Lua API reference for a list of all node callbacks, and
more information on the callbacks above.
