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authorBjörn-Egil Dahlberg <egil@erlang.org>2016-10-28 16:40:48 +0200
committerBjörn-Egil Dahlberg <egil@erlang.org>2016-10-28 18:48:49 +0200
commitb8f201b00198207cbf4959f8f209bb2fa302515c (patch)
tree5024a8e5f358e2cf226ddf01c3630f630695c549 /system
parentf957985dc38034bf49711052ef02c14fa054667a (diff)
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doc: Clarify application directory structure
Diffstat (limited to 'system')
-rw-r--r--system/doc/design_principles/applications.xml160
1 files changed, 132 insertions, 28 deletions
diff --git a/system/doc/design_principles/applications.xml b/system/doc/design_principles/applications.xml
index 0a1b65ea8e..c673fde07e 100644
--- a/system/doc/design_principles/applications.xml
+++ b/system/doc/design_principles/applications.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
+
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
-
+
</legalnotice>
<title>Applications</title>
@@ -172,31 +172,136 @@ ch_app:stop([])</code>
</section>
<section>
- <marker id="app_dir"></marker>
- <title>Directory Structure</title>
- <p>When packaging code using <c>systools</c>, the code for each
- application is placed in a separate directory,
- <c>lib/Application-Vsn</c>, where <c>Vsn</c> is the version number.</p>
- <p>This can be useful to know, even if <c>systools</c> is not used,
- since Erlang/OTP is packaged according to the OTP principles
- and thus comes with this directory structure. The code server
- (see the <c>code(3)</c> manual page in Kernel) automatically
- uses code from
- the directory with the highest version number, if more than one
- version of an application is present.</p>
- <p>The application directory structure can also be used in the
- development environment. The version number can then
- be omitted from the name.</p>
- <p>The application directory has the following sub-directories:</p>
- <list type="bulleted">
- <item><c>src</c> - Contains the Erlang source code.</item>
- <item><c>ebin</c> - Contains the Erlang object code, the
- <c>beam</c> files. The <c>.app</c> file is also placed here.</item>
- <item><c>priv</c> - Used for application specific files. For
- example, C executables are placed here. The function
- <c>code:priv_dir/1</c> is to be used to access this directory.</item>
- <item><c>include</c> - Used for include files.</item>
- </list>
+ <marker id="app_dir"></marker>
+ <title>Directory Structure</title>
+ <p>When packaging code using <c>systools</c>, the code for each
+ application is placed in a separate directory,
+ <c>lib/Application-Vsn</c>, where <c>Vsn</c> is the version number.</p>
+ <p>This can be useful to know, even if <c>systools</c> is not used,
+ since Erlang/OTP is packaged according to the OTP principles
+ and thus comes with a specific directory structure. The code server
+ (see the <seealso marker="kernel:code"><c>code(3)</c></seealso> manual
+ page in Kernel) automatically uses code from
+ the directory with the highest version number, if more than one
+ version of an application is present.</p>
+ <section>
+ <title>Directory Structure guidelines for a Development Environment</title>
+ <p>Any directory structure for development will suffice as long as the released directory structure
+ adhere to the <seealso marker="#app_dir_released">description below</seealso>,
+ but it is encouraged that the same directory structure
+ also be used in a development environment. The version number should be omitted from the
+ application directory name since this is an artifact of the release step.
+ </p>
+ <p> Some sub-directories are <em>required</em>. Some sub-directories are <em>optional</em>, meaning that it should
+ only be used if the application itself requires it. Finally, some sub-directories are <em>recommended</em>,
+ meaning it is encouraged that it is used and used as described here. For example, both documentation
+ and tests are encouraged to exist in an application for it to be deemed a proper OTP application.</p>
+<code type="none">
+ ─ ${application}
+   ├── doc
+ │   ├── internal
+ │   ├── examples
+ │   └── src
+   ├── include
+   ├── priv
+   ├── src
+ │   └── ${application}.app.src
+   └── test
+</code>
+ <list type="bulleted">
+ <item><c>src</c> - Required. Contains the Erlang source code, the source of the <c>.app</c> file
+ and internal include files used by the application itself. Additional sub-directories within
+ <c>src</c> can be used as namespaces to organize source files. These directories should never
+ be deeper than one level.</item>
+ <item><c>priv</c> - Optional. Used for application specific files. </item>
+ <item><c>include</c> - Optional. Used for public include files that must be reachable from
+ other applications.</item>
+ <item><c>doc</c> - Recommended. Any source documentation should be placed in sub-directories here.</item>
+ <item><c>doc/internal</c> - Recommended. Any documentation that describes implementation details about
+ this application, not intended for publication, should be placed here.</item>
+ <item><c>doc/examples</c> - Recommended. Source code for examples on how to use this application should
+ be placed here. It is encouraged that examples are sourced to the public documentation from
+ this directory.</item>
+ <item><c>doc/src</c> - Recommended. All source files for documentation, such as Markdown, AsciiDoc or
+ XML-files, should be placed here.</item>
+ <item><c>test</c> - Recommended. All files regarding tests, such as test suites and test specifications,
+ should be placed here. </item>
+ </list>
+
+ <p>Other directories in the development environment may be needed. If source code from languages other
+ than Erlang is used, for instance C-code for NIFs, that code should be placed in a separate directory.
+ By convention it is recommended to prefix such directories with the language name, for example
+ <c>c_src</c> for C, <c>java_src</c> for Java or <c>go_src</c> for Go. Directories with <c>_src</c>
+ suffix indicates that it is a part of the application and the compilation step. The final build artifacts
+ should target the <c>priv/lib</c> or <c>priv/bin</c> directories.</p>
+ <p>The <c>priv</c> directory holds assets that the application needs during runtime. Executables should
+ reside in <c>priv/bin</c> and dynamically-linked libraries should reside in <c>priv/lib</c>. Other assets
+ are free to reside within the <c>priv</c> directory but it is recommended it does so in a structured manner.</p>
+ <p>Source files from other languages that generate Erlang code, such as ASN.1 or Mibs, should be placed
+ in directories, at the top level or in <c>src</c>, with the same name as the source language, for example
+ <c>asn1</c> and <c>mibs</c>. Build artifacts should be placed in their respective language directory,
+ such as <c>src</c> for Erlang code or <c>java_src</c> for Java code.</p>
+ <p>The <c>.app</c> file for release may reside in the <c>ebin</c>-directory in a development environment
+ but it is encouraged that this is an artifact of the build step. By convention a <c>.app.src</c> file
+ is used, which resides in the <c>src</c> directory. This file is nearly identical as the
+ <c>.app</c> file but certain fields may be replaced during the build step, such as the application version.</p>
+ <p>Directory names should not be capitalized.</p>
+ <p>It is encouraged to omit empty directories.</p>
+
+ </section>
+
+ <section>
+ <marker id="app_dir_released"></marker>
+ <title>Directory Structure for a Released System</title>
+ <p>A released application must follow a certain structure.
+ </p>
+<code type="none">
+ ─ ${application}-${version}
+   ├── bin
+   ├── doc
+ │   ├── html
+ │   ├── man[1-9]
+ │   ├── pdf
+ │   ├── internal
+ │   └── examples
+   ├── ebin
+ │   └── ${application}.app
+   ├── include
+   ├── priv
+ │   ├── lib
+ │   └── bin
+   └── src
+</code>
+ <list type="bulleted">
+ <item><c>src</c> - Optional. Contains the Erlang source code and internal include files
+ used by the application itself. This directory is no longer required in a released application.</item>
+ <item><c>ebin</c> - Required. Contains the Erlang object code, the <c>beam</c> files.
+ The <c>.app</c> file must also be placed here.</item>
+ <item><c>priv</c> - Optional. Used for application specific files. <c>code:priv_dir/1</c>
+ is to be used to access this directory.</item>
+ <item><c>priv/lib</c> - Recommended. Any shared-object files that are used by the application,
+ such as NIFs or linked-in-drivers, should be placed here.</item>
+ <item><c>priv/bin</c> - Recommended. Any executable that is used by the application,
+ such as port-programs, should be placed here.</item>
+ <item><c>include</c> - Optional. Used for public include files that must be reachable from
+ other applications.</item>
+ <item><c>bin</c> - Optional. Any executable that is a product of the application,
+ such as escripts or shell-scripts, should be placed here.</item>
+ <item><c>doc</c> - Optional. Any released documentation should be placed in
+ sub-directories here.</item>
+ <item><c>doc/man1</c> - Recommended. Man pages for Application executables.</item>
+ <item><c>doc/man3</c> - Recommended. Man pages for module APIs.</item>
+ <item><c>doc/man6</c> - Recommended. Man pages for Application overview.</item>
+ <item><c>doc/html</c> - Optional. HTML pages for the entire Application.</item>
+ <item><c>doc/pdf</c> - Optional. PDF documentation for the entire Application.</item>
+ </list>
+
+ <p>The <c>src</c> directory could be useful to release for debugging purposes but is not required.
+ The <c>include</c> directory should only be released if the applications has public include files.</p>
+ <p>The only documentation that is recommended to be released in this way are the man pages. HTML and PDF
+ will normally be distributed in some other manner.</p>
+ <p>It is encouraged to omit empty directories.</p>
+ </section>
</section>
<section>
@@ -381,4 +486,3 @@ application:start(Application, Type)</code>
<c>shutdown</c>, not <c>normal</c>.</p>
</section>
</chapter>
-