Tutorials/Creating Forge mods

Overview
Note: This tutorial is in the very earliest stages. Its aim is to point you to the resources needed to get started making mods for Minecraft Java Edition. It will not be exhaustive.

Mods (short for 'modifications') can modify or add items, blocks, entities, and much more. Minecraft mods consist of jar files (example: niftymod.jar) which contain class files, json files, and image files, to name a few of the most common.
 * Class files are specific to the Java programming language. A few Java tutorials to try include w3schools (https://www.w3schools.com/java) and SoloLearn.  You will need an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) such as IntelliJ IDEA or Eclipse to read or create class files.
 * JSON files are a means of detailing the characteristics of objects used by Java class files. JSON is much simpler than Java.  You will need a text editor such as Notepad++ to read or create json files.  You probably already have Notepad on your computer, but there are many advantages to using Notepad++ instead.
 * Image files you may be familiar with include .bmp and .jpg formats, but Minecraft requires .png format (example: niftylogo.png) in multiples of 16 pixels square (example: 16x16, 32x32, 64x64). You will need an image editor such as Paint.NET or Gimp to edit or create png files.  You probably already have MS Paint on your computer, but Gimp has so much more functionality, and Paint.NET is quite user-friendly.

Assuming you intend to use Forge Modloader, you will need to download the JDK (Java Development Kit) from Forge, and set up its gradle file in your IDE of choice.

What not to do
There are some things that you should not do before creating a mod. Here is a list of don'ts:
 * Don't do anything that violates Mojang's terms of use for Minecraft.
 * Don't release Minecraft versions or modifications that allow you to play without having bought Minecraft from Mojang.
 * Don't release the decompiled source code of Minecraft in any way.
 * Don't modify existing mods without permission from that mod's author(s). Check their License, usually available in the author's GitHub repository.  If you can't find the license, then you do not have permission to share a modified version with anybody.  You may tinker with the files for personal use only.

Creating a mod for Forge
Presumably you already have an idea for a mod you want to create. Or perhaps you want to 'fork' a favorite mod to update for newer versions of Minecraft. In any case, this guide will cover (eventually) only the most basic elements of creating an item (example: sword) and creating an entity (example: zombie).

Next Steps
https://mcforge.readthedocs.io/en/latest/gettingstarted/

Additional Info
Recommended:
 * create a GitHub account to manage versions of your mod, and collaborate