This section describes the organization of files and directories inside the CentOS Artwork Repository, the names convenctions, how to extend the current layout and the way content is produced, as well.

The repository layout is used as standard backend for automation scripts to work correctly. If repository layout changes unexpectedly, automation scripts may get confuse themselves and stop doing what you may expect from them to do.

As convenction, inside CentOS Artwork Repository, files and directories related to CentOS corporate visual identity are organized under three top level directories named: trunk/, branches/, and tags/.

The trunk/ directory (see Directories trunk) organizes the main development line of CentOS corporate visual identity. Inside trunk/ directory structure, the CentOS corporate visual identity concepts are implemented using directories.  There is one directory level for each relevant concept inside the repository. The trunk/ directory structure is mainly used to perform development tasks related to CentOS corporate visual identity.

The branches/ directory (see Directories branches) oranizes parallel development lines to trunk/ directory. The branches/ directory is used to set points in time where develpment lines are devided one from another taking separte and idependent lives that share a common past from the point they were devided on. The branches/ directory is mainly used to perform quality assurance tasks related to CentOS corporate visual identity.

The tags/ directory (see Directories tags) organizes parallel frozen lines to branches/ directory.  The parallel frozen lines are immutable, nothing change inside them once they has been created.  The tags/ directory is mainly used to publish final releases of CentOS corporate visual identity.

The CentOS Artwork Repository layout is firmly grounded on a Subversion base.  Subversion (http://subversion.tigris.org) is a version control system, which allows you to keep old versions of files and directories (usually source code), keep a log of who, when, and why changes occurred, etc., like CVS, RCS or SCCS.  Subversion keeps a single copy of the master sources.  This copy  is called the source ``repository''; it contains all the information to permit extracting previous versions of those files at any time.

Repository file names
---------------------

Repository name convenctions are applied to files and directories inside the repository layout. As convenction, file names are all written in lowercase (01-welcome.png, splash.png, anaconda_header.png, etc.) and directory names are all written capitalized (e.g., Identity, Themes, Motifs, TreeFlower, etc.).

Repository name convenctions are implemented inside the cli_getRepoName function of centos-art.sh script. With cli_getRepoName function the amount of commands and convenctions to remember are reduced and concentrated in just one single place to look for fixes and improvements.

Work lines
----------

Work lines describe different areas of content production inside CentOS Artwork Repository. Content production inside these specific areas may vary as much as persons be working on them. Producing content in too many different ways may result innapropriate in a collaborative environment like CentOS Artwork Repository where content produced in one area depends somehow from content produced in another different area. To produce content in a syncronized but descentralized way, it is required to define a content production standard for each work line that everyone uses as reference to realize their work.

The standard way of producing content inside CentOS Artwork Repository is implemented through centos-art.sh script and described in centos-art.sh script related documentation entry (see Directories trunk Scripts).

Inside CentOS Artwork Repository, work lines are organized in Graphic design, Documentation, Localization and Automation.

Graphic design
..............

This work line exists to cover brand design, typography design and theme design. Additionally, some auxiliar areas like icon design, illustration design for documentation, brushes design, pattern designs and palettes with color definitions could be included here for completeness.

Inside CentOS Artwork Repository, graphic design is performed through Inkscape and GIMP program.  Inkscape is used create and manipulate scalable vector graphics and export them to PNG format; it also provides a command-line interface that we use to automate the exportation process so you can perform massive exportation of SVG files to PNG files. On the other hand, GIMP is used to create and manipulate rastered images, create brushes, patterns and palettes of colors.  Notice that each program provides very specific functionalities and posibilities that when combined can let you produce very beautiful images.

The CentOS Project Corporate Identity is made of several visual manifestations.  These visual manifestations implement the Corporate Identity by mean of images placed in key areas of their visual space. To produce these images, we decompose image production in design models and artistic motifs. Design models provide the image structure (i.e., dimension, translation markers, common designs, etc.) and are generally produced as scalable vector graphics generally. On the other hand, artistic motifs provide the visual style (i.e., the background information, the look and feel) and are generally produced as rastered images.

Design models are created for each visual manifestation the CentOS Project is made of. This way we describe the visual manifestation and provide a template system for it where several artistic motifs can be applied. Artistic motifs are created with design models in mind, not the visual manifestation that design models are built for.

The result produced by combining one design model with one artistic motif is what we know as a theme. Inside themes directory structure (see Directories trunk Identity Themes), you can find several design models and several artistic motifs, apart one another, that can be albitrarily combined one another through theme rendition, a flexible way to produce images for different visual manifestations inside CentOS Artwork Repository. Inside themes directory structure, theme rendition is performed in trunk/Identity/Themes/Motifs directory structures and takes design models from trunk/Identity/Themes/Models directory structure.

In addition to theme rendition, you can find another way of image production, a more direct way of image production where there is no artistic motif at all, but design models only. Such configuration is named direct rendition and is very useful to produce simple content that doesn't need specific background information (e.g., icons and illustrations for documentation). Direct rendition takes place in trunk/Identity/Models and trunk/Identity/Images directory structures.

See Directories trunk Identity, for more information on graphic design.

Documentation
.............

This work line exists to describe what each directory structure inside the CentOS Artwork Repository is for and how to produce content inside them.

Documentation is supported by Texinfo, a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both online information and printed output.

Documentation is organized in the same way of CentOS Artwork Repository directory structure. In the CentOS Artwork Repository we use directories to store conceptual ideas of The CentOS Project Corporate Visual Identity.  This way, each directory in CentOS Artwork Repository has its own documentation section to describe the related conceptual ideas it is based on. Documentation entries related to repository directory structure are organized in sections under Repository Directories chapter (see Directories).

The file structure of documentation related to the repository directory structures is stored under trunk/Manual/Directories directory structure and controlled by the help functionality of centos-art.sh script.  Using this functionality you can create, edit and remove documentation for each directory structure inside the repository; so you don't need to take care of updating menus, nodes and cross reference information inside the manual structure, the functionality takes care of it for you.  However, if you need to write repository documentation that have nothing to do with directory structure (e.g., Preface, Introduction and similar) you need to do it manually, there is no functionality to automate such process yet.

See Directories trunk Manual, for more information on documentation.

Localization
............

This work line exists to localize corporate design and documentation source files, so they can be produced in different languages.

Whatever content rendition you perform, sometimes you need to produce content in different languages. Production of content in different languages is known as localization or l10n for short.  Inside CentOS Artwork Repository, content localization is performed using the processes provided by gettext internationalization standard.

Basically, the gettext internationalization standard consists on retriving translatable strings from source files and creating Portable Objects and Machine Objects. Portable Objects contain the information used by translators to do their work, they are files that can be edited by any convenctional text editor like Vim, Emacs or Nano. On the other hand, Machine Objects are produced to be machine-redable as its name implies, and are produced from Portable Objects.

Since gettext needs to extract translatable strings form source files in order to let translators to localize them, the types of source files we use inside the repository are limitted to the file types supported by gettext program. Most of the source files supported by gettext are those from programming languages like C, C++, Bash, Python and Perl just to mention a few ones from the long list of supported formats. However, formats like SVG, XHTML and Docbook don't figure as supported in the long list of gettext supported source files.

To translate XML based source files like SVG, XHTML and Docbook we use the xml2po program. This program comes with gnome-doc-utils package and reads one XML based file to extract translatable strings from it. As result it creates one Portable Object that is use by xml2po itself to create a translated XML based file with the same definition of the source file where translatable strings were taken from (e.g., if we extract translatable strings from a SVG file, as result we get the same SVG file but with translatable strings already localized ---obviously, for this to happen translators need to localize translatable strings inside the Portable Object first, localization won't appear as art of magic---). When using xml2po, the Machine Object file is used just temporally to produce the final translated XML based file.

     Tip If you want to have your content localized inside CentOS Artwork Repository be sure to use source files supported by gettext and xml2po programs.

See Directories trunk Locales, for more information.

Automation
..........

This work line exists to standardize content production inside CentOS Artwork Repository. There is no need to repeat several tasks time after time if they can be programmed in just one.  If you need to improve the way content is produced, look inside automation scripts and make your improvement there for every one to benefit.

So far, we've seen a conceptual view of how image production inside CentOS Artwork Repository is performed, but how all this is implemented, what is the practical view?

The practical view can be found through centos-art.sh script, a bash script specially designed to automate most frequent tasks inside CentOS Artwork Repository. The centos-art.sh script is stored in trunk/Scripts directory structure and is there where the main development for centos-art.sh script takes place. Basically, the centos-art.sh script is divided in several functionalities that perform specific tasks inside the repository. Such functionalities relay on repository organization to work as expected.

Maiking the centos-art.sh script to automate tasks is the only possible work flow that I can think about right now. If you are a programmer, take a functionality from centos-art.sh script, study it, look how to improve it and share your ideas at centos-devel@centos.org mailing list or create your own new functionalities and propose them as well.

     Note As default configuration, everyone is denied from committing changes up to CentOS Artwork Repository. In order to gain commit rights, you need to prove your interest in contributing and maintaining that contribution.  Otherwise, if you only want to comment your ideas, the centos-devel@centos.org mailing list exists for you to manifest yourself. This restrictions are necessary to protect our work from spammers.

See Directories trunk Scripts, for more information on automation.

Connection between directories
------------------------------

In order to produce content correctly inside CentOS Artwork Repository, it is required that all work lines be connected somehow. This way it could be possible to know what design models and translation messages to use in order to produce a specific content. This directory connection between work lines takes place through one master path that may have several auxiliar paths.

Master paths are those whose contain source files used to produce base content and auxiliar paths provide the files used to modify the production of such base content. For example, when images are produced from source files, the directory structure that holds source files is considered the master path and all other directory structures are considered auxiliar paths. There are auxiliar paths to store images, translation messages and documentation.

Auxiliar paths take their structure from one unique parent path. Inside CentOS Artwork Repository, this unique parent path is under trunk/Identity directory structure.  The trunk/Identity location must be considered as a reference for whatever information you plan to create inside the repository. For example, all the possible paths related to brands component production, are:

trunk/Identity/Models/Brands

     This is the master path where source files used to produce brands are stored in.

trunk/Locales/Identity/Models/Brands

     This is the auxiliar path where translation messages used to produce brands, if there is any at all, are stored in.

trunk/Manual/Directories/trunk/Locales/Identity/Models/Brands.texi

     This is the auxiliar path where documentation about translation messages, used to produce brands are stored in.

trunk/Identity/Images/Brands

     This is the auxiliar path where output images produced as result of rendition are stored in.

trunk/Manual/Directories/trunk/Identity/Models/Brands.texi

     This is the auxiliar path where documentation about brand design is stored in. This is, how brands are constructed, the color information, the proportions, etc. Notice that it points to a regular file, not a directory as other auxilar path use to do.

trunk/Manual/Directories/trunk/Identity/Images/Brands.texi

     This is the auxiliar path where documentation about brand implementation. This is, how the brand is applied and how it cannot be applied in each different visual manifestation. Notice that it points to a regular file, not a directory as other auxiliar path use to do.

The configuration described above for organizing brand component inside the repository is the one used by direct rendition and can be used as reference to organize other components inside the repository that are produced through direct rendition too. Just change the component name from brands to that one you want to add without changing the path structure around it.

The file organization used by theme rendition, however, is a bit different from that used by direct rendition. In theme rendition, both master paths and auxiliar paths are built dynamically based on the design model and the artistic motifs you specify at rendition time. As a mnemotechnic resource, consider theme rendition as two independent lists, one list of design models and one list of artistic motifs, which are arbitrary combined among themselves in order to render images. For example, consider the organization used to produce Anaconda images to CentOS distribution major release 5 from Default design model and Flame artistic motif:

trunk/Identity/Themes/Models/Default/Distro/5/Anaconda

     This directory contains source files used to produce Anaconda images for CentOS distribution major release 5 using Default design models.

     Here is where you, as graphic designers, define Default design models for Anaconda images used in CentOS distribution major release 5.

     The path to this directory is considered master because it contains the most critical information (i.e., the information that can't be absent) required to produce Anaconda images used inside CentOS distribution major release 5.

trunk/Manual/Directories/trunk/Identity/Themes/Models/Default/Distro/5/Anaconda.texi

     This file contains documentation, in Texinfo format, for Default design models used to produce the Anaconda images used inside CentOS distribution major release 5.

     Here is where you, as documentor, describe construction of Default desing models used to produce the Anaconda images for CentOS distribution major release 5. In this description you can include image dimensions, color information, image location inside distribution filesystem, image packaging and similar things.

     The path to this file is considered auxiliar for trunk/Identity/Themes/Models/Default/Distro/5/Anaconda master path because provides the description required to let everyone know how to build Default design models used to produce Anaconda images required by CentOS distribution major release 5.

trunk/Locales/Identity/Themes/Models/Default/Distro/5/Anaconda

     This directory contains translation files, as gettext portable objects, for Default design models used to produce the Anaconda images used inside CentOS distribution major release 5.

     Here is where you, as translator, localize translatable strings retrived in English language from Default design models used to produce the Anaconda images of CentOS distribution major release 5 to your own language. If no portable object is found here, content is produced in English language.

     The path to this directory is considered auxiliar for trunk/Identity/Themes/Models/Default/Distro/5/Anaconda master path because provides the language-specific information required to produce Anaconda Default design models in different languages.

trunk/Manual/Directories/trunk/Locales/Identity/Themes/Models/Default/Distro/5/Anaconda.texi

     This file contains documentation, in Texinfo format, for translation messages retrived from Default design models used to produce the Anaconda images used inside CentOS distribution major release 5.

     Here is where you, as documentor, describe localization of Default desing models used to produce the Anaconda images used in CentOS distribution major release 5. In this description you can include image dimensions, color information, image location inside distribution filesystem, image packaging and similar things.

     The path to this file is considered auxiliar for trunk/Identity/Themes/Models/Default/Distro/5/Anaconda master path because provides the language-specific information required to produce Anaconda Default design models in different languages.

     Each master path has its own auxiliar path to store their specific documentation and whatever the artistic motifs used to produce images be is somthing irrelevant.

trunk/Identity/Themes/Motifs/Flame/3/Distro/5/Anaconda

     This directory contains Anaconda final images produced from Anaconda Default design models used by CentOS distribution major release 5 and Flame 3 artistic motif.

     Here is where you, as packager, can find the images you need to rebrand Anaconda in CentOS distribution major release 5.

     The path to this directory is considered auxiliar for trunk/Identity/Themes/Models/Default/Distro/5/Anaconda master path because it provides the final images produced from Anaconda Default design models.

trunk/Manual/Directories/trunk/Identity/Themes/Motifs/Flame/3/Distro/5/Anaconda.texi

     This directory should contain documentation about how to implement Anaconda component in CentOS distribution major release 5 would be. However, since all artistic motifs are produced based on one design model (trunk/Identity/Themes/Models/Default/Distro/5/Anaconda, in this case) we may end up duplicating the same documentation in all artistic motifs documentation entries and there is no need of that.

     To avoid duplicating information, all documentation related to theme components like Anaconda is put in design model documentation entires (trunk/Manual/Directories/trunk/Locales/Identity/Themes/Models/Default/Distro/5/Anaconda.texi in this case).  The only reason to create documentation entries inside artistic motifs is to put a redirection admonition to link design model related information.

The Anaconda component is part of CentOS Distribution visual manifestation. Inside CentOS Distribution visual manifestation there are other components Syslinux, Grub, Rhgb, Gdm, Kdm, Gsplash and Ksplash that share a similar file organization to that described for Anaconda component. The way each of these components is produced is described in their own documentation entry.

When one master path is changed, it is required to change the related auxiliar path related to it, too. This is required in order for master paths to retain their relation with their auxiliar paths. This way, automation script are able to know where to retrive translation messages, where to store final output images and where to look for documentation. If relation between master paths and auxiliar paths is lost, there is no way for automation scripts to know where to retrive the information required by for task automation.

The auxiliar paths should never be modified under no reason but to satisfy the relation to their master paths.  Liberal change of auxiliar paths may suppress the conceptual idea they were initially created for; and certainly, things may stop working the way they should.

Syncronizing path information
-----------------------------

The master and auxiliar paths concept is very useful to keep repository organized but introduce some complications.  For instance, consider what would happen to functionalities like help, that rely on master paths to create documentation entries, through auxiliar paths, if one of those master paths suddenly change after the documentation entry has been already created for it?

In such cases, functionalities like help may confuse themselves if path information is not updated to reflect the appropriate path relation.  Such functionalities work with master paths as reference; if a master path is changed, the functionalities won't even note it because they work with the last master path available in the repository, no matter what it is.

In the specific case of documentation (the help functionality), the problem mentioned above provokes that older master paths, already documented, remain inside documentation directory structures as long as you get your hands into the documentation directory structure (trunk/Manual) and change what must be changed to match the new master path information.

There is no immediate way for help and similar functionalities that use master paths as reference, to know when and how the path information is changed inside the repository. Such information is available only when files or directories are moved in the repository. So, is there, at the moment of moving files, when we need to syncronize paths information between master paths and auxiliar paths and rename old paths to new paths inside all the files which includes them (e.g., scalalble vector graphics, documentation files and translation files files) and commit everything to keep the central repository up to date.

     Warning Even Subversion can perform some operations using URLs, there is not support for URLs inside centos-art.sh script.  The centos-art.sh script is designed to work with local files inside the working copy only. If you need to work on URLs directly, use Subversion command-line interface instead of centos-art.sh script.

File movement inside the repository is considered a repository change and it should be recorded as such. In order for this to happen, we need to add directories and files into the version control system to make them part of it, commit them, perform the file movement using version control system commands and finally commit all files related in the operation. This configuration makes possible for everyone to know about changes details inside the repository; and if needed, revert or update them back to a previous revision.

Once all path information has been updated in the filesystem, it is time to update path information inside all the files involved in the operation. Considere what would happen to documentation entries defined in the documentation manual when the target locations they point to are removed from filesystem. Certainly, that would make Texinfo to produce an error message when documentation manual is exported to output files. Something similar could happen to scalable vector graphics that include artistic motifs background images and translation messages with path information inside.

So, in order to keep path information syncronized, the centos-art.sh script needs to know when such changes happen, in a way they could be noted and handled without producing errors (e.g., replacing old path information to new path information inside all the files that may include any kind of path information inside).

Extending repository structure
------------------------------

Occasionly, you may find that new corporate visual identity components need to be added to the repository. If that is your case, the first question you need to ask yourself, before start to create directories blindly all over, is: What is the right place to store it?

The best place to find answers is in The CentOS Community (see page http://wiki.centos.org/GettingHelp), but going there with hands empty is not good idea. It may give the impression you don't really care about. Instead, consider the following suggestions to find your own comprehension in order to make your own propositions based on it.

The best advice we probably could offer you, when extending respository structure, is to bear in mind The CentOS Project Corporate Identity Structure (see Directories trunk Identity). The rest is just matter of choosing appropriate names.

To illustrate this desition process let's consider the trunk/Identity/Themes/Motifs/TreeFlower directory structure as example.  It can be read as: the trunk development line of TreeFlower artistic motif; artistic motifs are part of themes; and themes part of CentOS corporate visual identity.

When building parent directory structures, you may find that reaching an acceptable location may take some time, and as it uses to happen most of time; once you've find one, that may be not a definite solution.  There are many concepts you need to play with, in order to find a result that match the conceptual idea you try to implement in the new directory structure. To know which these concepts are, split directory structures and read their documentation entry from less specific to more specific.  The concepts used in trunk/Identity/Themes/Distro/Motifs/TreeFlower directory structure are described in the following documentation entries, respectively:

centos-art help --read turnk/
centos-art help --read turnk/Identity/
centos-art help --read turnk/Identity/Themes/
centos-art help --read turnk/Identity/Themes/Motifs/
centos-art help --read turnk/Identity/Themes/Motifs/TreeFlower/

The trunk/Identity/Themes/Motifs/TreeFlower location has evolved through several months of contant work and there is no certain it won't change in the future, even it fixes quite well the concept we are trying to implement.  Other location concepts can be found in the same way described above, just change the directory structure to the one you are trying to know concepts for.