ForgeGradle vs Visual Studio Code

ForgeGradle is a free Gradle plugin and Minecraft mod development framework used with Forge and FML. Its documentation focuses on setting up a mod development environment, not teaching Java, Groovy or Gradle. Setup requires a Java Development Kit and familiarity with an integrated development environment. The guide provides commands to generate run configurations for Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA and Visual Studio Code. Configurations can specify arguments, working directories, task names, environment properties and system properties; Forge supplies client, server, data and gameTestServer run types. Developers can select human-readable mappings and use a reobf task to convert a mod JAR to SRG mappings for production. Dependencies can be sourced from repositories or a local flat directory and wrapped with fg.deobf. An optional Jar-in-Jar system bundles selected dependencies and records metadata during the build. The documentation covers Minecraft versions 1.12 through 1.19, plus 1.19.4. Its default stable and snapshot mappings are typically incomplete and are no longer available as of Minecraft 1.17. The repository identifies the license as LGPL-2.1.

Visual Studio Code is an open-source code editor with AI-assisted development features for macOS, Linux, Windows, and the web. It offers inline AI suggestions and intelligent completions, and its agent workflows can plan tasks, change code, run commands, and iterate. Users can switch between agent work and direct coding in the same editor. Agent workflows work with Copilot and third-party providers, and users can supply their own model key. The editor includes JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, and HTML support; extensions add support for other languages. Its Marketplace lists more than 80,000 extensions. Built-in tools include Git source control, an integrated terminal, code running and debugging, build tasks, and local history. It connects to GitHub Codespaces and remote development environments, while Settings Sync and profiles help carry and organize customizations. The browser version has a limited execution environment. VS Code is free for private or commercial use at free. A GitHub account is required to start building with AI agents.