Software project documents - Location

Subject: Software project documents - Location
From: Paul Hanson <phanson -at- Quintrex -dot- com>
To: "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:33:50 -0600

Melanie's post triggered something...

There is an on-going discussion around here re: where types of documents should be stored. During the software development for a single project, these are the following types of documents that get created (not necessarily Word docs, some are Excel). Different people write them though sometimes there is an overlap:
Time & Cost estimates (T&C)
Requirements
Specs
Programmer Word doc that details the changes they actually made <called a "move sheet" around here>

The way things are now, using project 12345 as an example:
==> the T&C is in v:\as400tc\12000to12999\12345\12345.xls
==> The requirements doc is stored in i:\projects\12000 to 12999\12345\12345requirements.doc
==> The specs are stored in v:\as400sp\12000to12999\12345.doc <==no subfolder by project
==> The move sheets are stored in I:\move sheets\projects\12000to12999\PJ12345.doc <==no subfolder by project

I see an issue that you have to go to multiple places if you are researching a single project. The organization is by type of document instead of by project.

One of the ideas being kicked around <and I'll admit, strongly supported by me> is to create this:

a folder called I:\projects\12000to12999\12345

and within that folder to have all these types of documents - T&C, requirements, specs, and move sheets. You would have:
|
==> the T&C I:\projects\12000to12999\12345\12345.xls
==> The requirements I:\projects\12000to12999\1234512345requirements.doc
==> The specs I:\projects\12000to12999\12345\12345.doc
==> The move sheets I:\projects\12000to12999\12345\PJ12345.doc
|
Another element is that our network drives i:\ and v:\ are being consolidated into a single network drive. My opinion is that, as a part of that consolidation, documents in these various locations would be moved into a single directory structure.

I guess the question becomes: at your company, are these types of documents based upon document type or project number? Obviously, you don't have to agree that a single directory structure is your preferred way to go so if you don't agree, please back up your opinion with a convincing argument.

Paul Hanson
Technical Writer
RoboHelp ACE - http://www.adobe.com/support/forums/team_macromedia/robohelp.html
Quintrex Data Systems http://www.quintrex.com
email: phanson at quintrex.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Melanie Blank

In my experience, the Project Plan, Customer Requirements, Functional Requirements, various specification documents, and various levels of Architecture documents have all been called for. And quite a few others..........
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Follow-Ups:

References:
RE: Software project documents - Jim Barrow: From: Melanie Blank

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