Magento 2 File & Folder structure

Magento 2 Module File or Magento extension folder structure / Folder structure is too complicated. We are not going to cover all files and folders within Magento 2, but the high-level ones only. 

¡How to tell the difference between a folder and directory? Actually, they are the same things. Though, when you refer to a command line interface like Linux it’s more correctly to use ‘directory’ instead of ‘folder’!

Helpful hint: Knowing the M2 folder structure can help you out with the installation of new extensions and custom code implementation. However, you have to acquire tech knowledge enough to perform the work bug-less and independently. If you have no such possibility, hire our installation services. We offer installation services for the whole order, so no matter how many extensions you order we’ll install them all taking into account your unique business needs.

Magento 2 Folder structure

If you navigate to your Magento 2 root, you’ll see the next folders:

• app;
• bin;
• dev;
• lib;
• pub;
• var;
• vendor.

Each folder consists of subfolders where the subfolders contain files. Let’s have a closer look at each of the folders:

/app

As well as in Magento 1, the folder contains the main Magento code; 

• it includes the /app/design with subfolders;

adminhtml and frontend directories;
the /app/design/adminhtml and /app/design/frontend directories contain theme folders with various CSS and LESS files;

• the /etc folder contains the di.xml configuration file;

the di.xml file contains class mapping and interface preferences;

• the /app directory  may contain an /app/code subfolder (This depends on your install method. The code directory will be there in case you download the GitHub repository. Otherwise, all Magento 2 code will be contained in the vendor folder.);
• if you have the /app/code subfolder within /app, it includes the Magento core code (One of the locations where you can develop your custom Magento code. The info is actual in case you don’t use composer to handle your custom code.).

/bin 

• the directory contains the magento file or a CLI script;
• the CLI script activates a console with a set of handy options: enable/disable cache; enable/disable modules; run an indexer, etc.

/dev

• Magento 2 test scripts and a few tools for development are placed in the folder.

/lib

• the directory contains several libraries packed separately from the Magento core;
• the internal and web subfolders are also located here;
• the internal directory contains server-side libraries and several font files;
• the web subfolder contains client-side (JavaScript) libraries, jquery, modernizr, requirejs, prototype, scriptaculous. (The framework code will be included in the lib folder only in case you download the GitHub repository. Otherwise, Magento 2 code will be in the vendor folder.).

/pub

• it should be set as your web root on the server you use (Apache, Nginx);
• as you have noticed from the name the folder contains all the publicly accessible files;
• index.php controller is also contained in the folder.

/var

• caches and generated classes are all located in the folder;
• the var folder includes cache, composer_home, generation, log, di, view_preprocessed, page_cache files.

/vendor

• the folder is generated by composer using composer.json file;
• the folder includes various packages that have been defined under composer.json.

Note that in Magento 2.2.x and later versions the folder var/generation was removed to the project root and renamed to generated. For more information see here.

Magento 1/ Magento 2 difference in Folder structure

The app, lib and var directories were included in Magento 1 too. Magento 2 contains such new directories as bin, dev, phpserver, pub, setup, update, and vendor. For those who have just migrated from the first version, here is a table with the basic purpose of the new directories:

What is your deal? 

• now media, error, skin, js, get.php, cron.php, and index.php folders are placed to pub folder;
• skin and js folders are put in pub/static folder. Static content can be maintained easier cia CDN now.;
• js, css, images are divided into pub/static/adminhtml and pub/static/frontend (for backend and frontend correspondingly); 
• if you are looking for migration tools and tests, as well as shell, have a dip into the dev folder;
• setup directory is now used for installation process;
• downloader, includes, pkginfo have been excluded from Magento 2.

¡Bear in view that Magento Enterprise and Magento Professional versions differ in folders!

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