Core Framework Overview

The QBCore Framework is built around several core components that work together to provide a comprehensive roleplay experience. This section covers the fundamental building blocks that every QBCore developer should understand.

Architecture Overview

QBCore follows a modular architecture with these key components:

QBCore Framework Architecture - Core components and data flow

Core Components

1. Core Object

The Core Object is the central hub that provides access to all framework functionality. It’s your main entry point for interacting with QBCore.

Key Features:

Player management functions
Access to shared data
Utility functions
Command registration

2. Player Data

Player Data contains all information about a player character, including personal info, job, money, items, and metadata.

Structure:

Character information (name, DOB, etc.)
Job and gang affiliations
Money (cash, bank, crypto)
Inventory items
Metadata (hunger, thirst, stress)

3. Shared Data

Shared data contains configuration information that’s accessible from both client and server sides.

Includes:

Items configuration
Vehicle data
Jobs and gangs
Weapons information

Getting Started

Basic Setup

Every QBCore resource starts with accessing the core object:

-- Server-side
local QBCore = exports['qb-core']:GetCoreObject()
 
-- Client-side
local QBCore = exports['qb-core']:GetCoreObject()

Player Interaction Example

-- Server-side: Handle player interaction
RegisterNetEvent('myresource:doSomething', function()
    local src = source
    local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(src)
    
    if not Player then
        return -- Player not found
    end
    
    -- Check if player has required job
    if Player.PlayerData.job.name == "police" then
        -- Perform police-specific action
        Player.Functions.AddMoney("bank", 1000, "police-bonus")
        TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', src, 'Police bonus received!', 'success')
    end
end)

Item Management Example

-- Give player an item
local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(source)
Player.Functions.AddItem("water_bottle", 1, false, {quality = 100})
 
-- Check if player has item
local hasItem = Player.Functions.GetItemByName("water_bottle")
if hasItem then
    print("Player has water bottle")
end

Framework Features

Player Management

Character Creation: Multi-character support
Data Persistence: Automatic saving to database
Session Management: Handle joins/leaves
Permission System: Admin/user permissions

Job System

Dynamic Jobs: Easy job switching
Grade System: Hierarchical job structures
Duty Status: On/off duty mechanics
Boss Actions: Management capabilities

Economy

Multiple Currencies: Cash, bank, crypto
Transaction Logging: All money changes tracked
Item Economy: Complex item system
Business Integration: Shop and business support

Communication

Event System: Client/server communication
Callback System: Request/response patterns
Notification System: User feedback
Command System: Chat commands

Best Practices

1. Always Validate Input

-- Good
local amount = tonumber(args[1])
if not amount or amount <= 0 then
    return TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', src, 'Invalid amount', 'error')
end
 
-- Bad
local amount = args[1] -- Could be nil or non-numeric

2. Check Player Existence

-- Good
local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(source)
if not Player then return end
 
-- Bad
local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(source)
local name = Player.PlayerData.charinfo.firstname -- Can error

3. Use Appropriate Functions

-- Good - Use framework functions
Player.Functions.AddMoney("cash", 100, "salary")
 
-- Bad - Direct manipulation
Player.PlayerData.money.cash = Player.PlayerData.money.cash + 100

4. Handle Errors Gracefully

-- Good
local success = Player.Functions.RemoveMoney("cash", 100, "purchase")
if success then
    -- Continue with purchase
else
    TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', src, 'Insufficient funds', 'error')
end

Resource Structure

A typical QBCore resource follows this structure:

myresource/
├── fxmanifest.lua
├── server/
│   ├── main.lua
│   └── callbacks.lua
├── client/
│   ├── main.lua
│   └── functions.lua
├── shared/
│   └── config.lua
└── html/
    ├── index.html
    ├── style.css
    └── script.js

Example fxmanifest.lua

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'
 
description 'My QBCore Resource'
author 'Your Name'
version '1.0.0'
 
shared_scripts {
    'shared/config.lua'
}
 
client_scripts {
    'client/main.lua',
    'client/functions.lua'
}
 
server_scripts {
    'server/main.lua',
    'server/callbacks.lua'
}
 
ui_page 'html/index.html'
 
files {
    'html/index.html',
    'html/style.css',
    'html/script.js'
}
 
dependencies {
    'qb-core'
}

Database Integration

QBCore uses MySQL for data persistence. Common operations:

-- Using MySQL-Async (recommended)
MySQL.Async.execute('INSERT INTO player_data (citizenid, data) VALUES (?, ?)', {
    Player.PlayerData.citizenid,
    json.encode(someData)
})
 
-- Fetching data
MySQL.Async.fetchAll('SELECT * FROM player_data WHERE citizenid = ?', {
    Player.PlayerData.citizenid
}, function(result)
    if result[1] then
        -- Process result
    end
end)

Event System

QBCore provides several built-in events:

Server Events

QBCore:Server:PlayerLoaded - Player joined and loaded
QBCore:Server:OnPlayerUnload - Player left server
QBCore:Server:OnJobUpdate - Player job changed
QBCore:Server:OnGangUpdate - Player gang changed

Client Events

QBCore:Client:OnPlayerLoaded - Local player loaded
QBCore:Client:OnPlayerUnload - Local player unloaded
QBCore:Client:OnJobUpdate - Job changed
QBCore:Client:SetDuty - Duty status changed

Configuration

QBCore configuration is stored in qb-core/shared/config.lua:

QBConfig = {}
 
-- Server settings
QBConfig.MaxPlayers = GetConvarInt('sv_maxclients', 48)
QBConfig.DefaultSpawn = vector4(-1035.71, -2731.87, 12.86, 0.0)
 
-- Money settings
QBConfig.Money = {
    MoneyTypes = {'cash', 'bank', 'crypto'},
    DontAllowMinus = {'cash', 'crypto'},
    PayCheckTimeOut = 10,
    PayCheckSociety = false
}
 
-- Player settings
QBConfig.Player = {
    HungerRate = 4.2,
    ThirstRate = 3.8
}

Next Steps

Now that you understand the core framework:

Explore Player Data - Deep dive into player structure
Learn the API - Server function reference
Set up Development - Configure your environment
Browse Resources - See available QBCore resources

Common Patterns

Resource Initialization

local QBCore = exports['qb-core']:GetCoreObject()
 
-- Wait for core to be ready
CreateThread(function()
    while not QBCore do
        Wait(10)
        QBCore = exports['qb-core']:GetCoreObject()
    end
    
    -- Initialize your resource
    print("Resource loaded successfully")
end)

Player Action Validation

RegisterNetEvent('myresource:action', function(data)
    local src = source
    local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(src)
    
    -- Validation chain
    if not Player then return end
    if not data or not data.amount then return end
    if Player.PlayerData.job.name ~= "police" then return end
    
    -- Proceed with action
end)

This overview provides the foundation for working with QBCore. Each component has detailed documentation in their respective sections.

Functions Player Data