Forge

Forge is an open-source framework for building modern web applications.
It features a React-based frontend and a Go backend, offering flexibility and scalability for dynamic, interactive applications. Forge has been built with LLMs, leveraging AI-powered capabilities to enhance development and functionality.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Features
• Architecture
• Installation
  • Prerequisites
  • Frontend Setup
  • Backend Setup
• Usage
  • Running the Application
  • Available Components
• Contributing
• License
• Acknowledgments

Introduction

Forge aims to simplify the development of web applications by providing a structured approach that integrates both frontend and backend development. With reusable components and services, developers can focus on building features rather than setting up configurations.

Features

• Modular React Components: Reusable components such as LayoutRenderer, Container, FileBrowser, and Editor for building dynamic user interfaces.
• State Management with Signals: Utilizes @preact/signals-react for efficient state management and reactivity.
• Window and Dialog Management: Handle multiple windows and dialogs within the application using WindowManager and ViewDialog.
• Data Handling and Services: Backend services in Go for handling data operations, including file browsing, navigation, and metadata loading.
• Dynamic Form and Table Rendering: Render forms and tables dynamically based on configurations.
• Chart Integration: Supports data visualization with chart components.
• File System Integration: Access and manipulate files using the backend file service.

Architecture

Forge is divided into two main parts:

• Frontend: Built with React and utilizes modern JavaScript features along with libraries like Blueprint.js for UI components.
• Backend: Built with Go (Golang), providing APIs and services to the frontend. It uses the viant/afs library for abstract file system interactions.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 14.x or higher)
• npm (version 6.x or higher) or Yarn (version 1.x or higher)
• Go (version 1.16 or higher)
• Git

Frontend Setup

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/forge.git

2. Navigate to the Frontend Directory

   cd forge/src

3. Install Dependencies

   Using npm:

   npm install

   Or using Yarn:

   yarn install

4. Start the Development Server

   Using npm:

   npm start

   Or using Yarn:

   yarn start

   The application should now be running at http://localhost:3000.

Backend Setup

1. Navigate to the Backend Directory

   cd forge/backend

2. Install Go Modules

   go mod download

3. Run the Backend Server

   go run main.go

   The backend server should now be running, typically at http://localhost:8080.

Usage

Running the Application

With both the frontend and backend servers running, you can access the application in your web browser at http://localhost:3000.

Available Components

• Window Manager (WindowManager.jsx): Manages multiple windows or views within the application.
• Container (Container.jsx): Handles layouts and rendering of various UI components.
• File Browser (FileBrowser.jsx): Allows users to navigate and manage files within the application.
• Editor (Editor.jsx): Provides a code or text editor with syntax highlighting using CodeMirror.
• Table Panel (TablePanel.jsx): Displays data in table format with features like sorting, filtering, and pagination.
• Control Renderer (ControlRenderer.jsx): Dynamically renders form controls based on configuration.
• Chart (Chart.jsx): Visualizes data using chart components.
• Dialog and Modal Components (ViewDialog.jsx): Manages dialogs and modals within the application.

Backend Services

• File Service (file/service.go): Provides file system operations like listing directories and downloading files.
• Metadata Service (meta/service.go): Loads and resolves metadata with support for YAML files and $import directives.
• Navigation Handler (handlers/navigation.go): Fetches navigation data for building menus or navigation trees.
• Window Handler (handlers/meta.go): Loads window data and configurations.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community. To contribute:

1. Fork the Repository

   Click the "Fork" button on the repository page to create a copy under your GitHub account.

2. Create a Branch

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

3. Make Your Changes

   Edit the code to add new features or fix bugs.

4. Commit Your Changes

   git commit -am "Add new feature"

5. Push to Your Fork

   git push origin feature/your-feature-name

6. Submit a Pull Request

   Go to the original repository and click on "New Pull Request" to submit your changes for review.

Please ensure your code follows the existing code style and includes appropriate comments and documentation.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache2 License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Library Author: Adrian Witas
• Viant AFS: For the abstract file system used in the backend services.
• Blueprint.js: For the UI components used in the frontend.
• CodeMirror: For providing the editor component with syntax highlighting.