Do you work for a software company? How do you organize your documents?

I'm working for a small software company that's trying to transition to the next level. We bought another company and we're merging the IT/development groups. At the last meeting, I complained about the lack of a common structure.

No one else was going to do something so I volunteered to propose a documentation repository structure as a "strawman". I thought that the web would be packed with examples but its not. So I'd like to see how you organize your documents, specs, artifacts, etc. Do you use any software to do this and do you like it?

Do you use source control (we're committed to CVS)? Almost all of our folks use Windows so I can't propose a Linux/Unix solution. Do you make some or all of these available from a web site?

If so, do you copy or just have the web server reference the docs in place? Even if you just send me a list of your directory categories and sub categories that would help. Thanks, and I'm happy to share what I learn.

Asked by justAprogrammer 54 months ago Similar questions: work software company organize documents Computers > Hardware > Desktops & Laptops.

Similar questions: work software company organize documents.

Sharepoint 2007 I would recommend you use Microsoft office Sharepoint 2007 or 2003 as you are already running a MS infrastructure and are probably using Microsoft Office and Exchange. Why not use a solution that is designed to work well in that environment. You get great a great place to store and collaborate on documents, with user level security, rights and privileges Easy to install and set up, tight integration with Microsoft Office Simplify organization wide access Enable people to make business critical decisions with business data in one place It is built on an open, scalable architecture, with support for Web services and interoperability standards including XML and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP).

Here is a great overview http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointserver/HA101656531033.aspx Sources: Microsoft .

We found enforcing this level of order didn't work well The problem here is that you're talking about very creative process, and documents tend to relate to one another by actual content when created, not by pre-conceived notions of what future documents might contain. There's an old phrase for your problem - "If we only knew what we know. " Here's what we've done to manage the message: 1.

Enforced document filename and folder name standards. Names must be no more than a few words, and easily readable, but must convey the contents of the file clearly. Files like "busp1v.

Doc" aren't acceptable. 2. We use TWiki for general brainstorming and data point collection during research projects, and encourage people to post documents there whenever possible.

That's actually sort of a pain if you're working on things actively, because you're constantly downloading/modifying/uploading documents. It's a little easier with Sharepoint, but still not perfect. For that we... 3.

We switched to Subversion from CVS a while ago. It's much more sophisticated, and we can use TortoiseSVN for Windows users to get shell integration with the repositories (we use KDESVN for Linux users, or command-prompt facilities). This doesn't really SOUND all that important, but we've found SVN is much better about identifying and resolving conflicts, handling binary files (or at least not choking as much), and so on.4.

We created top- and sub-level directories to hold conceptual documents as a management function. So we laid out things like (we're an integration provider): Application Integration Application 1 Application 2 Test Scripts XML Schemas Sample Messages Documentation Developer End-user Internal Web Intranet Development ProductionCorporate Web Development Production Account Manager Development ProductionAnd so forth. From there, developers and administrators have control over subdirectory structure and file names, within reason.

I flip through it every month or so just to keep tabs on things and help keep things clean. 5. We gave each user their own Subversion repository.

This works better than a home directory because they still get version control, but they don't have to watch their update/commit cycles as closely so it's much easier for them to work on scratch items that they may never want to commit to the main repository. We've found that it worked much better to impose a LITTLE control and some sense of common standards, rather than trying to define things down to the slightest detail. There's just too much ground to cover otherwise, and people spend half their days trying to make perfect little document trees and not so much on getting actual work done..

Yes, I do For source code, we use either CVS, or SourceSafe. Sometimes a proprietary system, for instance for code developed in Tibco middleware. For documentation, we use Microsoft Sharepoint, as that is the easiest accessible tool over multiple locations, as we have in our company.

Sources: my knowledge .

1 We use MediaWiki for documentation running off a Mac OSX or Linux box depending on what the group favors. Since it's editable by anybody with a web browser, it works great. There will be subsections for QA, DevSpecs, Managerial Info.It's very freeform after that.

We use MediaWiki for documentation running off a Mac OSX or Linux box depending on what the group favors. Since it's editable by anybody with a web browser, it works great. There will be subsections for QA, DevSpecs, Managerial Info.It's very freeform after that.

2 We use Sharepoint and we use it as and intranet to store and archive all documents that pertain tothe business, we have 300+ employees. We just start at company wide and sub folder by location then department, (HR, Exec Team, Client dest, IT etc. ) and so on, user rights are assigned on a need to know basis .

We use Sharepoint and we use it as and intranet to store and archive all documents that pertain tothe business, we have 300+ employees. We just start at company wide and sub folder by location then department, (HR, Exec Team, Client dest, IT etc. ) and so on, user rights are assigned on a need to know basis.

What is the best Retail Company to work For in Management. " "My company's logo on my work clothing? " "How does Software Defined Radio work?" "How do I set a global exclude for temp files in Backup Exec 11D?

We do not back up desktops or laptops. " "I want to scan many documents, store and organize them into my computer. What hardware and software do I need?

" "What's the best/cheapest laptop and software to scan / store / create documents ONLY? " "What are the 3 latest, most powerful CPUs from Intel for mainstream desktops and laptops? How about AMD?

" "how many laptops can I bring into Italy? I want to bring one personal and one work" "What is the best business intelligence software for a manufacturing company?" "my company won't let us put itunes on our laptops; is there any potential harm with itunes.

What is the best Retail Company to work For in Management.

I want to scan many documents, store and organize them into my computer. What hardware and software do I need?

My company won't let us put itunes on our laptops; is there any potential harm with itunes.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.