What IS a "ticking entity", anyway?

[NoElement]

While im no specialist at java, me and a few others got curious on what a "ticking entity" even is. I would have guessed that it is a object (may it player or block) that causes an eternal loop, but that is pretty much my best guess. Would someone care to explain, please?

 

[lenscas]

it means that each game tick the entity runs some code. A lit furnace for example is an ticking tile entity as each game tick it needs to increase its progress, lower its heat level and maybe even give output if an item is done.

 

[NoElement]

Ah, so it is a general term. It doesn't mean an error neccesarily. Gotcha.