I'm trying to figure out where to get started. The first thing I did was create a Gradle script to download and run Minecraft Server version 1.7.2. I pushed it to Github, here: https://github.com/msgilligan/minecraft-server-gradle
It works but has some major flaws (always checks the network before running, doesn't build a standalone app that can run without Gradle, etc.) but it's a start. The next step, I think, is to create a Gradle script that will download Minecraft server (and client jars eventually) and install them in to a local Maven repo. Then I should be able to use the standard Gradle plugins for building an application. A later step would be to integrate FML, etc.
Has anyone created a (Gradle) script to install the downloadable (and non-redistributable) Jars into a local Maven repository? There is a Maven plugin that looks like it does this: https://github.com/mctechnologic/mcforge-maven-plugin/wiki/mcforge:install
Would other people find this useful? Where is the right place to discuss this work with other devs?