Structure and Naming Governance

Core Principle

Do not enforce one universal project tree.

Enforce structural properties instead:

A directory should have a clear reason to exist.

A new directory is justified when it provides a meaningful responsibility, lifecycle, ownership, or tooling boundary.

Avoid directories whose only purpose is to hold one arbitrary file unless the project convention makes that meaningful.

Names should answer as many of these as practical:

Prefer stable semantic names over vague chronology.

Bad smells:

These are acceptable only as short-lived controlled states, not as permanent project organization.

Structural debt accumulates when temporary decisions become permanent:

When structural debt is found, prefer small targeted cleanup over a giant reorganization.

Clearly distinguish:

Generated artifacts should either be reproducible or intentionally governed as versioned project outputs.

Before moving or renaming:

Professional structure usually feels simple because it is explainable, not because it contains the fewest folders possible.