7.4 Generated File Naming

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Generated file names should make their generated status clear through location, naming, file headers, or all three. The Repository should place generated Artifacts under approved generated directories rather than mixing them with handwritten source files.

A generated file should preserve Traceability to a source definition and a generation process. For example, an IDL-derived type should trace back to the IDL file and the type-generation command or script that produced it.

Generated file names may follow the output conventions of the selected generator. The team should not manually rename generated files unless the generation workflow supports stable, repeatable naming. Manual renaming can break regeneration and make generated Artifacts harder to compare.

Generated files should include a header or nearby documentation that identifies them as generated, where the generator or language permits it. The header should warn developers not to edit the generated file directly unless the team has explicitly approved that practice.

The team should keep the generated Artifact naming consistent across languages and targets where practical. If the same IDL definition produces outputs for multiple languages, the generated directory structure should make the target language and source definition clear.