Forge (software)

In FOSS development communities, a forge is a web-based collaborative software platform for both developing and sharing computer applications. A forge platform is generally able to host multiple independent projects.

For software developers it is a place to host, among others, source code (often version-controlled), bug database and documentation for their projects. For users, a forge is a repository of computer applications.

Software forges have become popular, and have proven successful as a software development model for a large number of software projects.

The term forge refers to a common prefix or suffix adopted by various platforms created after the example of SourceForge (such as GForge and FusionForge). This usage of the word stems from the metalworking forge, used for shaping metal parts.

Technology

Two different kinds of concepts are commonly referred to by the term forge:

a service offered on a Web platform to host software development projects;
an integrated set of software elements which produce such platforms, ready for deployment.

All these platforms provide similar tools helpful to software developers working in the hosted projects:

Some provide other features as well:

code review

Examples

Examples of software used to set up a forge:

Allura
FusionForge
GForge
GitLab
Gitorious (deprecated, superseded by GitLab)
Indefero
Kallithea
KForge
Launchpad
LibreSource
Phabricator
Redmine
Savane (powering GNU Savannah and merged with FusionForge)
Trac
Tuleap

Examples of forge services:

BerliOS (disbanded in 2014, some projects have been moved to *Joinup collaboration platform)
CloudForge
CodePlex
GitHub
GitLab
Gna.org
GNU Savannah
JavaForge
Joinup collaboration platform
Launchpad.net
OATS: Open Source Assistive Technology Software
OSDN: Open Source Development Network
Project Kenai : Sun Microsystems
SourceForge.net
Tigris.org

Technology

Examples

See also