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163 changes: 163 additions & 0 deletions docs/design_decisions/DR-002-strat.rst
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Copyright (c) 2026 Contributors to the Eclipse Foundation

See the NOTICE file(s) distributed with this work for additional
information regarding copyright ownership.

This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
terms of the Apache License Version 2.0 which is available at
https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0

DR-002-Strat: Eclipse Project Structure for S-Core
===================================================

- **Date:** 2026-05-22

.. dec_rec:: Eclipse Project Structure for S-Core
:id: dec_rec__strat__eclipse_project_structure
:status: accepted
:context: Strategy
:decision: Option 1

Context / Problem
-----------------

The strategic decision to treat S-Core as a platform rather than a collection of independent
modules was already taken in DR-001-Strat. This decision record focuses solely on the technical
question of how to structure the S-Core project within the Eclipse Foundation and GitHub.

Two organisational models are under consideration: keeping all modules within one Eclipse project
(the current approach), or splitting each module into a separate Eclipse project.

The choice has implications for community governance, Committer nomination processes, GitHub
organisation management, and the long-term risk to the S-Core v1.0 release.

Options Considered
------------------

Option 1: One Eclipse Project (currently used)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

All S-Core relevant modules reside together in one GitHub organisation under one Eclipse project.

.. uml::
:align: center
:caption: Option 1 – One Eclipse project containing all S-Core repositories

skinparam componentStyle rectangle

component "eclipse" as ef <<Eclipse Foundation>> {
component "eclipse-score" as org <<GitHub Organisation>> {
component "score" as score
component "feo" as feo
component "baselibs" as baselibs
component "logging" as logging
component "persistence" as persistence
component "process_description" as proc
component "docs-as-code" as dac
}
}

score -[hidden]right- feo
feo -[hidden]right- baselibs
baselibs -[hidden]right- logging
score -[hidden]down- persistence
persistence -[hidden]right- proc
proc -[hidden]right- dac

**Pros**

- All S-Core relevant modules are together in one GitHub organisation → it is immediately visible
what belongs to the S-Core project.
- One infrastructure, one timeline, one community → things are kept together.
- One authority (PLs) for all modules that can ensure the same behaviour for all modules.

**Cons**

- Eclipse Foundation project handbook rules were not designed for such big projects. This leads
among others to the following problems:

- It is typically not possible to nominate initial Committers for newly contributed modules.
- The Committer model does not completely scale for such big projects. Having a large number of
modules in one Eclipse project leads to the necessity of having a big number of Committers
with various areas of responsibility.

**Possible mitigation**

- Eclipse Foundation and PMC must acknowledge and agree that new modules in S-Core are treated
as new Eclipse projects for the purpose of initial Committer nomination.
- Mapping/restricting of Committer responsibilities in the project to dedicated areas is done
using the CODEOWNERS file in GitHub (already in place).

Option 2: Multiple Eclipse Projects
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Every module becomes its own Eclipse project; a central S-Core project serves as the integration
project.

.. uml::
:align: center
:caption: Option 2 – Multiple Eclipse projects, S-Core as the central integration project

top to bottom direction
skinparam componentStyle rectangle

component "eclipse (parent)" as ef_parent <<Eclipse Foundation>> {
component "eclipse-score / score\n(integration project)" as score_central
}

component "eclipse A" as ef_a <<Eclipse Foundation>> {
component "... / baselibs" as baselibs
}

component "eclipse B" as ef_b <<Eclipse Foundation>> {
component "... / logging" as logging
}

component "eclipse ..." as ef_n <<Eclipse Foundation>> {
component "..." as more
}

score_central <.. baselibs : sub-project
score_central <.. logging : sub-project
score_central <.. more : sub-project

**Pros**

- Every module is a "small" Eclipse project, which is exactly what the Eclipse Foundation project
handbook is built for → Clear Committer/Contributor/PL management.

**Cons**

- Every project is a completely standalone project. The S-Core project PLs do not have tools to
manage the separate Eclipse projects with implementation modules, which creates a significant
risk that the S-Core community could fracture.
- Every module/project has its own GitHub Organisation → enforcing the same rules and processes
is complicated; belonging to S-Core project is not obvious.

**Possible mitigation**

- Currently no possible mitigations known for Cons 1.
- The Eclipse Foundation technically enables S-Core and all sub-projects/modules to be located
within the same GitHub organisation.

Conclusion
----------

**We proceed with Option 1**

Rationale
^^^^^^^^^

- There are currently no major blockers that would make the switch to Option 2 obligatory.
- Switching the structure of the project and module repositories poses a high risk for the
S-Core v1.0 release, which is planned for the end of the year.

Follow-up Actions
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

- **X-Core approaches Eclipse Foundation**: Eclipse Foundation and PMC must acknowledge and agree
that new modules in S-Core are treated as new Eclipse projects for the purpose of initial
Committer nomination.
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