CurseForge Gradle Publish Plugin vs Fabric

CurseForge Gradle Publish Plugin publishes build artifacts to CurseForge from a Gradle build. A publication can specify a CurseForge project ID, main artifact, game versions, display name, release type, changelog, and artifact relationships. It uses the CurseForge Upload API and needs an API token in the plugin’s curseforge extension. The README warns that keeping the token in a version-controlled build script can expose it; user-specific Gradle properties are suggested instead.

For mod projects, the plugin can derive publication details from other tools. With Fabric Loom and a remapJar or jar bundling task, it can create a publication preconfigured for Fabric and the targeted Minecraft version. Its ModDevGradle and NeoGradle integrations can infer NeoForge and Minecraft-version details. When Gradle’s java-base plugin is present, it infers the Java version from the compileJava target.

Fabric is a free, modular mod loader for Minecraft, with tools for playing and building mods. The Fabric Loader download supplies the basic loader; most mods also need Fabric API in the mods folder for the extra APIs they use. Players can install through options including Minecraft Launcher, Minecraft Server, MultiMC, CurseForge, GDLauncher, ATLauncher, MCUpdater, Technic, portablemc, and Metadata API. For developers, Fabric offers an online template generator, project templates, command-line tools, and an example mod repository. Fabric Loom is a Gradle plugin for developing and debugging mods. Its wider toolchain includes Yarn, open Minecraft mappings offered under CC0; Intermediary, which provides match information for cross-version mods; and Tiny Remapper for JAR files. Documentation covers player installation and troubleshooting as well as developer topics from setup through rendering and networking. Fabric is free, supports Java mods, and is described as mostly version independent. Its site says it is not an official Minecraft product and is not approved by or associated with Mojang.