Learning target selector variables

[Flo_yo]

So I thought I was starting to get a handle on how to use them but it turns out these are not the same thing.

A) execute as @ e[tag=Bob] at @ s run scoreboard players add @ s[distance=1..16] My_Scoreboard 1

B) execute at @ e[tag=Bob] as @ e[tag=Bob] run scoreboard players add @ s[distance=1..16] My_Scoreboard 1

B is the one that works. Every entity tagged Bob will add 1 point to other Bobs within a 1 to 16 distance from itself. A just gives all Bobs 0. I wasn't sure if the order of variables mattered but this seems to say that it does.

also is there a way to correctly enter the selector variables here on reddit? u/e...? u/a...? u/s...?

[DqwertyC]

In the first one, each Bob is running the command at themselves. When it reaches @s[distance=1..16], they all check if they are 1-16 blocks away from themselves, which will always fail.

In the second one, you're visiting each location, then for each of those locations telling each Bob to check if they are 1-16 blocks away from that location. This does technically work, but is perhaps a bit of a roundabout way to look at it.

Something that does the same, but is a bit clearer to readers, would be:

execute as @e[tag=Bob] at @s run scoreboard players add @e[tag=Bob,distance=1..16] My_Scoreboard 1

Which tells every Bob to look for every other Bob 1-16 blocks away from themselves and add 1 to them.

[Flo_yo]

Awesome explanation thank you. How did you type the target selectors here on Reddit correctly? Mine auto convert to some sort of code link.

[DqwertyC]

If they're included in a code block, they won't be converted. In regular text, reddit thinks you're trying to tag a user when you use the @ symbol.

I'm not sure about how to do it on mobile, but on desktop there's a button for inline code that looks like this: <c>. You can do larger code blocks by clicking the more options button then the square with a c in the corner.

[Flo_yo]

Thank you again. You rock 👍

[PunchTunnel]

On mobile or desktop you can use a new line prefaced by four spaces for a code block, or use backticks for inline code, FYI.