First, I'm a systems architect who's been coding in Java since version 0.8, so I know my way around an IDE.  I'm reading your directions for getting started and the very first instructions seem to be some kind of test to separate serious modders from those who just wanted to "try it out".  

The directions read:
https://mcforge.readthedocs.io/en/latest/gettingstarted/#from-zero-to-modding

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2. Obtain the Mod Development Kit (MDK) from Forge’s files site.

3. Extract the downloaded MDK into an empty directory. You should see a bunch of files along with an example mod placed in src/main/java for you to look at. Only a few of these files are strictly necessary for mod development, and you may reuse these files for all your projects. These files are:
build.gradle
gradlew.bat
gradlew
the gradle folder
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So I followed the link "Forge's files site", downloaded "forge-1.18.2-40.1.0-installer.jar", and used the extract option.  It did not work.  I exploded the jar using 7zip, but there doesn't seem to be any kind of project structure in the jar as described in step 3.  The only other 2 options when executing the jar are for installing the forge server or client, and that's not what I want to do.

It seems this bug/feature of the instructions is previously known, mentioned by user 0ryza here:

So, my questions are: where are the correct directions?  How am I supposed to get the mod project skeleton?  If I have to build it by hand, where is an example I can use?  And finally, why haven't the instructions, or the MDK jar, been fixed yet?  

The link assigned to "Forge’s files site" is this:
https://files.minecraftforge.net/net/minecraftforge/forge/

So the first thing any new modder sees is the big "Download Latest" and "Download Recommended" links.  There's nothing to indicate those aren't the MDK.  So the first thing a new dev is going to do is click on one of those links, execute the downloaded jar, and see the "extract" option.  Now tell me that's not confusing.

When you're writing docu, you can't assume everyone has your practiced eye.  You always have to assume they are coming in clueless.  Your brain, knowing what it does, may immediately jump to "hit the 'Show All Versions' button and there's the MDK link", but someone who hasn't worked on the project for years won't know that. 

So yeah, I found the right link.  You can close this if you want.  I'd suggest you add a bit more verbiage to step 2, however.

Edited April 30, 20223 yr by Astrien