Template library

forge manages your own template library. Each template is its own private GitHub repository, stored locally under Dev/Templates/<name>/.

How it differs from polyforge create

	polyforge create	forge
Source	built-in quick starters	your curated repos
Output	a project in Workspace/	a template in Dev/Templates/
Customisable	no	entirely
Needs gh	no	yes, for new

Use create when you want to start coding in ten seconds. Use forge when you have a setup — linting, CI, project layout, license — you want back every time.

Creating a template

forge new archon "archicad addons template"

This does four things:

1. Scaffolds a blank template at Dev/Templates/archon/.
2. Creates a private GitHub repository, template-archon, via gh.
3. Runs gh repo edit --template, marking it a GitHub template repository — so you can spin new repos off it from the GitHub UI, not only through PolyForge.
4. Registers it, with your description, in polyforge.registry.toml.

From there it is an ordinary git repository. Edit it by hand and git push.

Why the template repository flag matters

A GitHub template repository gets a “Use this template” button and produces new repos with clean history rather than a fork relationship. Setting it automatically means the template works from either direction — forge get on your machine, or the GitHub UI when you are on someone else’s.

Listing

forge list

Templates:
  1. archon           archicad addons template         (local + repo)
  2. cli-starter      (no description)                 (repo only (forge get))

The status column tells you whether a template is present locally or only registered. Descriptions come from the registry, which is why one shows for archon even before you clone it.

Never refer to a template by number

The numbers are display-only and shift as you add and remove templates. Always use the name: forge get archon, not forge get 1.

Restoring and removing

forge get all        # every registered template
forge get archon     # just one
forge remove archon  # delete the local copy only

remove is deliberately conservative: it deletes the local directory and leaves the GitHub repository and the registry entry alone. forge get archon brings it straight back. To actually retire a template, delete the repo on GitHub and remove its registry entry by hand.

Why templates are git-ignored here

Dev/Templates/*/ is excluded from the PolyForge repository, so templates never get dragged into the tooling repo — the same rule that applies to projects and learning tracks. See content separation.

Related

• forge reference
• Registry reference