The most comprehensive DayZ modding and server administration documentation ever created.
From absolute zero to published mod, from first server to advanced economy tuning — in 12 languages.
There is no complete public documentation for DayZ modding. The official wiki is sparse, community tutorials are scattered and outdated, and most knowledge lives in private Discord servers. This project changes that.
This wiki was built by reverse-engineering 10+ professional mods, studying 2,800+ vanilla script files, analyzing 15 official Bohemia samples, and documenting every pattern, gotcha, and best practice we found.
Whether you're creating your first mod or building a complex framework — this is your reference.
| Part | Topic | Chapters | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enforce Script Language | 13 | The complete language — types, classes, modded classes, memory management, 30+ gotchas |
| 2 | Mod Structure | 6 | 5-layer hierarchy, config.cpp, server/client architecture |
| 3 | GUI & Layout System | 10 | Widgets, .layout files, sizing, events, dialogs, real mod UI patterns |
| 4 | File Formats & Tools | 8 | Textures, models, audio, DayZ Tools, Workbench, PBO packing |
| 5 | Configuration Files | 6 | stringtable.csv, inputs.xml, imagesets, server configs, spawn gear |
| 6 | Engine API Reference | 23 | Entity, player, vehicle, sound, crafting, construction, animation, zombie/AI, terrain, particles, admin |
| 7 | Patterns & Best Practices | 7 | Singletons, modules, RPC, permissions, events, performance |
| 8 | Tutorials | 13 | Hello World → Custom Items → Admin Panel → Vehicles → Trading System |
| 9 | Server Administration | 12 | Server setup, loot economy, vehicles, persistence, performance, troubleshooting |
| Quick Reference | 6 | Cheatsheet, API reference, glossary, FAQ, troubleshooting |
92 chapters total — each with code examples, common mistakes, best practices, and real-world patterns from professional mods.
New to DayZ modding? Follow this path:
- Your First Mod (Hello World) — Build and load a mod in 15 minutes
- The 5-Layer Script Hierarchy — Understand how DayZ organizes code
- Variables & Types — Learn Enforce Script basics
- Creating a Custom Item — Add your first in-game item
- What Does NOT Exist — Avoid the 30 most common traps
Experienced developer? Jump to:
- API Quick Reference — Condensed method reference
- Professional Mod Template — Production-ready starter
- Real Mod UI Patterns — Patterns from COT, VPP, Expansion, Dabs
- Troubleshooting Guide — 91 problems with solutions
- Learn by example — Every chapter includes real code from professional mods (COT, VPP, Expansion, Dabs Framework, Colorful UI)
- Gotcha-first approach — Each topic highlights what goes wrong before showing what's right
- Copy-paste ready — All code examples are complete and tested
- Theory vs Practice — Tables showing what the docs say vs how things actually behave
- 12 languages — Full wiki available in English, Portuguese, German, Russian, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese, Czech, Polish, Hungarian, and Italian
- 31+ Mermaid diagrams — Visual flowcharts, class hierarchies, and sequence diagrams
- Professional template — Complete mod starter with every file explained
This documentation was built by studying:
| Source | What We Extracted |
|---|---|
| Community Online Tools | Module system, RPC, permissions, ESP, admin UI |
| VPP Admin Tools | Player management, dialogs, webhook system |
| DayZ Expansion | Market, vehicles, AI, notifications, settings versioning |
| Dabs Framework | MVC architecture, ViewBinding, attribute-based registration |
| Colorful UI | Theme system, modded class UI, resolution-aware layouts |
| DayZ Editor | Editor UI, command pattern, object management |
| Community Framework | Module lifecycle, RPC manager, logging |
| Official DayZ Samples | 15 sample mods covering vehicles, weapons, crafting, terrain |
| Vanilla DayZ Scripts | 2,800+ script files reverse-engineered |
We welcome contributions! Whether it's fixing a typo, adding an example, translating a chapter, or writing new content.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Ways to contribute:
- Report errors or suggest improvements via Issues
- Submit corrections or new content via Pull Requests
- Help translate — see Translation Guide
- Add screenshots to chapters that need them — see Image Needs
This wiki exists thanks to the incredible work of these developers and their open-source projects:
| Developer | Projects | Key Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob_Mango | Community Framework, COT | Module system, RPC, permissions, ESP |
| InclementDab | Dabs Framework, DayZ Editor, Mod Template | MVC, ViewBinding, editor UI |
| salutesh | DayZ Expansion | Market, party, map markers, vehicles |
| Arkensor | DayZ Expansion | Central economy, settings versioning |
| DaOne | VPP Admin Tools | Player management, webhooks, ESP |
| GravityWolf | VPP Admin Tools | Permissions, server management |
| Brian Orr (DrkDevil) | Colorful UI | Color theming, modded class UI patterns |
| lothsun | Colorful UI | UI color systems, visual enhancement |
| Bohemia Interactive | DayZ Engine & Samples | Enforce Script, vanilla scripts, DayZ Tools |
| StarDZ Team | This Wiki | Documentation, translation & organization |
Built with reverse engineering, coffee, and the DayZ modding community.
If this wiki helped you, give it a ⭐ star and share it with fellow modders!
Documentation is licensed under 
Code examples are licensed under 
