Concepts: Product Directory Structure

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The Product Directory Structure serves a logically nested placeholder for all versionable product-related artifacts. Artifacts are produced as result of following the development process lifecycle, and for the development of each constituent part (component) of the overall system.

The following figure shows that System-X consists of "N" subsystems. Each subsystem, in turn, consists of "M" components. The Product Directory Structure provides a common placeholder for the various artifacts that are required for the development of each part of the overall system.

In the Rational Unified Process artifacts are grouped and described in terms of Disciplines. These Disciplines are:

Requirements,

Analysis & Design,

Implementation,

Test,

Configuration & Change Management,

Project Management

Projects could organize artifacts by Information Set, however, that would not take into account how the overall system is to be developed, and then assembled from its constituent parts. The Product Directory Structure is logically structured to show how components are nested, and have the essential information that is required to create them in an overall context of a system or subsystem.

The Product Directory Structure is a placeholder framework and provides a navigational map to all project related artifacts. The artifacts could bephysicallyplaced within the various directories, or bereferencedfrom given locations.

System Product Directory Structure

Although an experienced designer may have a good idea of system composition at the outset, the view of major developmental components emerges as a result of Analysis&Design-related activities to define and refine candidate architectures.

The following table provides a Product System Directory Structure pattern that could be used as a 'Product Directory Structure' in the initial phases of project development while the precise details of composite subsystems and architectural layering has yet to be determined.

**System Level Product Directory Structure**
System Requirements	Models	Use Case Model
		User Interface Prototype
	Documents	Vision
		Glossary
		Supplementary Specifications
		Software Requirement Specs
	Reports	Use-Case Model Survey
		Use-Case Report
System Design and Implementation	Models	Use Case Realization
		Design Model
		Workload Model
	Documents	Software Architecture Document
		Design Model Survey
	Subsystem-1	Subsystem Directory Structure
	Subsystem-N	Subsystem Directory Structure
System Integration	Plans	Implementation Model Document
System Test	All Artifacts	Test Plan
		Test Cases
		Test Scripts
		Test Procedures
		Test Results
System Management	Plans	Software Development Plan
		Iteration Plan	Requirements Management Plan
		Risk List	Risk Management Plan
		Development Case	Infrastructure Plan
		Product Acceptance Plan	Configuration Management Plan
		Documentation Plan	QA Plan
		Problem Resolution Plan	Subcontractor Management Plan
		Process Improvement Plan	Measurement Plan
	Assessments	Iteration Assessment
		Development Organization Assessment
		Status Assessment
Tools	Development Environment Tools	Editors
		Compilers
	Configuration Management Tools	Rational ClearCase
	Requirements Management Tools	Rational RequisitePro
	Visual Modeling Tools	Rational Rose
	Test Tools	Rational Test Factory
	Defect Tracking	Rational ClearQuest
Standards & Guidelines	Requirements	Requirements Attributes
		Use Case Modeling
		User Interface
	Implementation	Programming Guidelines
	Documentation	Manual Styleguide

Once Analysis&Design activities are underway, and there is an improved understanding on the number and nature of subsystems required in the overall system (Activity: Subsystem Design), the Product Directory Structure needs to be expanded to accommodate each subsystem.

The information in the System Product Directory Structure needs to be visible to all subsystems across the project. So apart from the product management, requirements and test information Standards&Guidelines would belong in the System Product Directory Structure. In this instance, Tools are included in the System Product Directory Structure, however, they could be in a higher level directory where a number of Systems could be using the same toolset.

Subsystem Directory Structure

The information in the Product Subsystem Directory Structure relates directly to the development of that particular subsystem. The number of 'instantiations' of the Subsystems Product Directory Structure is clearly related to number of subsystems decided upon as a result of the Analysis&Design activities.

As shown in the following figure (Drilling to the Executables), System-Y has three subsystems (Subsystem-A, Subsystem-B and Subsystem-N). Each subsystem has the necessary information for its design and eventual implementation.

Drilling to the Executables

A generalized breakdown of the Subsystem Product Directory Structure is as follows:

**Subsystem Level Product Directory Structure**
Subsystem-N Requirements	Models	Use Case Model	Use Case Package
			Use Case Storyboard
		Use Case (text)
		User Interface Prototype
	Database	Requirements Attributes
	Documents	Vision
		Glossary
		Stakeholder Requests
		Supplementary Specifications
		Software Requirement Specs
	Reports	Use-Case Model Survey
		Use-Case Report
Subsystem-N Design and Implementation	Models	Analysis Model	Use Case Realization
		Subsystem Design Model	Design Packages
			Interface Packages
			Test Packages
		Implementation Model
		Data Model
		Workload Model
	Documents	Software Architecture Document
		Design Model Survey
	Reports	Use-Case Realization Report
	Component-1	Component-1 Directory
	Component-N	Component-N Directory
Subsystem-N Integration	Plans	Subsystem Implementation Model Document
	Libraries
Subsystem-N Test	Test Plan
	Test Cases	Test Procedures
	Test Results
	Test Data

Component Directory Structure

The number of components is result of subsystem design decisions. The following directory structure needs to be instantiated for each component to be developed.

**Component Level Directory Structure**
Component	Source Code
	Object/Executable Code
	Interfaces
	Test Code
	Executable Test Scripts
	Test Data
	Test Results

One benefit of nesting directories in the prescribed manner is that all relevant contextual information on the development of a component is available, either at the same level, or the level above.

This type of logical nesting gives rise to the setting up of development and integration workspaces that can be linked to the overall development team structure.

The naming convention for artifacts is described in the Configuration Management Plan.