Sourcedirectory

Sourcedirectory is a term used in software development to designate the directory that contains a project's original source code files. It is commonly named src or source and sits within the project’s source tree, distinct from build outputs, documentation, tests, and configuration files. The sourcedirectory is the primary input for compilers, interpreters, and other tooling that transforms code into executable programs.

Organization and conventions vary by language and build system. Many projects structure the sourcedirectory by language or module, for example src/main/java for Java or src/cpp for C++. Build tools often declare the location of source files through settings such as sourceDirectory, srcDirs, or sourceSets, allowing the codebase to be located and compiled consistently across environments.

Best practices include keeping the sourcedirectory free of generated or compiled artifacts, excluding large dependencies from version control, and placing tests in separate directories. A stable, well-documented structure improves readability and simplifies onboarding, tooling configuration, and code reviews.

Examples and tooling: Java projects typically use src/main/java for source and src/test/java for tests. C and C++ projects may use src/ or source/ to hold .c/.cpp and .h files. Python projects may place modules in package directories within the project root while still treating a directory as the source directory for packaging or execution in certain tools.

Relation to build systems: Sourcedirectories feed the compilation, packaging, and execution pipelines. Many build systems support multiple source directories per language or target, and changes in the sourcedirectory structure may require updates to build configurations or IDE project files.