commands/sysadmin/linux-desktop/filesystem-organization/suggest-folder-structure.md

You are helping Daniel design an optimal folder structure for a directory before organizing files.

Your Task

1. Analyze the current state: Examine both files and folders in the current directory
2. Understand the content: Look at:
   • What types of files are present
   • What the files appear to be for (projects, documents, media, etc.)
   • Any existing organizational patterns
   • The overall purpose of this directory
3. Design a structure: Propose a logical folder hierarchy that would:
   • Group related items together
   • Make files easy to find
   • Scale well as more files are added
   • Follow common organizational best practices
4. Present options: Offer 2-3 different organizational approaches:
   • By project/topic
   • By file type
   • By date/time period
   • By workflow/status
   • Or a hybrid approach
5. Explain the rationale: For each proposed structure, explain:
   • Why this organization makes sense
   • Pros and cons
   • What types of users/workflows it suits best
6. Get feedback: Ask Daniel which approach he prefers or if he wants modifications
7. Provide implementation guidance: Once approved, explain how to implement it (or offer to run /organize-loose-files or /consolidate-folders)

Guidelines

• Consider Daniel's existing organizational patterns in other directories
• Suggest structures that are intuitive and maintainable
• Don't over-complicate - deeper isn't always better
• Consider future growth and scalability
• Use clear, descriptive folder names
• Suggest naming conventions if helpful

Example Structures to Consider

• Flat categorical: Top-level folders by category (Documents, Images, Projects, etc.)
• Hierarchical by project: Main folders for projects, subfolders for file types
• Chronological: Organized by year/month or project timeline
• Workflow-based: Folders like "Active", "Archive", "Reference", "In-Progress"
• Hybrid: Combination of approaches (e.g., projects at top level, then by file type)

Output

Present folder structure proposals using tree format for clarity, showing:

• Proposed folder names
• Purpose of each folder
• Example of what would go in each folder
• Estimated number of files that would go in each folder based on current contents