DockForge

A powerful, visual Dockerfile builder and management extension for Visual Studio Code.

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DockForge bridges the gap between writing complex Dockerfiles and managing local containers. It provides a rich graphical interface (GUI) directly inside VS Code to build, validate, manage, and push Docker images—all without needing to memorize Docker CLI syntax.

Key Features

• Visual Dockerfile Builder: Create multi-stage Dockerfiles using a modern React-based drag-and-drop interface.
• Real-Time Validation & Linting: Catch errors before you build. Get instant warnings for missing base images, misconfigured ports, and suggestions for best practices (e.g., merging RUN commands).
• Docker Hub Integration: Log in, search repositories, fetch tags, and push images directly to Docker Hub from the sidebar.
• Local Image Management: View, run, tag, and delete local Docker images through an intuitive Tree View.
• One-Click Build & Run: Build your custom image and spin up a container with a single click.

Prerequisites

Before using DockForge, ensure you have the following installed:

• Visual Studio Code (v1.75.0 or higher)
• Docker Desktop (must be running to build and run images)

Quick Start

1. Creating a New Dockerfile

1. Open the DockForge sidebar by clicking the stack logo in the VS Code Activity Bar.
2. Click "+ Create New Dockerfile" in the Build Dockerfiles panel.
3. Name your file and use the visual builder to add stages and commands (FROM, RUN, COPY, etc.).
4. Click "Insert to Workspace" to save the generated Dockerfile to your project.

2. Building & Running Images

1. Open an existing Dockerfile in the DockForge Builder.
2. In the "Build Image" section, configure your image name and tag.
3. Click "Build Image" to compile.
4. Navigate to the "Docker Images" tree view, right-click your new image, and select "Run Container".

Extension Commands

Access these commands via the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):

Command	Description
DockForge: Create New Dockerfile	Create a new Dockerfile using the visual builder.
DockForge: Open Dockerfile Builder	Open the visual builder for an existing Dockerfile.
DockForge: Refresh Dockerfiles	Refresh the workspace Dockerfiles tree view.
DockForge: Docker Hub Login	Authenticate securely with Docker Hub.
Push to Docker Hub	Push a local image to your Docker Hub repository.
Run Container	Spin up a container from a selected image.
Tag / Rename Image	Add a new tag or rename a local Docker image.

Validation Engine

DockForge features a custom linting engine that evaluates your Dockerfiles against industry best practices:

• Warnings (Critical Issues): Detects missing base images, empty commands, invalid port numbers in EXPOSE, multiple CMD/ENTRYPOINT instructions, and COPY/ADD calls before WORKDIR.
• Suggestions (Optimizations): Recommends naming intermediate stages, merging sequential RUN commands to reduce layer count, and using COPY over ADD.

Development Setup

Want to contribute or hack on DockForge locally?

Project Architecture

DockForge is split into two main environments:

• src/: The VS Code Extension Host (TypeScript). Handles Docker CLI execution, file system operations, and tree views.
• webview-ui/: The Frontend UI (React 18, Vite, Tailwind CSS). Handles the visual builder and Docker Hub dashboard.

Getting Started

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/haoz20/dockforge-vscode-extension.git
   cd dockforge-vscode-extension