= Core client: file structure =

The core client runs in a '''BOINC home directory'''. It creates and uses the following files and directories within the home directory:

 * '''prefs.xml''': The user's general preferences; see below.
 * '''client_state.xml''' describes of the files, application, workunits and results present on this client.
 * '''Account files''' describes the participant's account in each subscribed project, including the resource share and project-specific preferences. It contains no host-specific information. The name of the account file is '''account_PROJECT.xml''', where PROJECT is an encoded version of the project's master URL.
 * A directory '''projects''', which contains a '''project directory''' for each subscribed project. The name of a project directory is an encoded version of the project's master URL. The project directory contains all files (inputs, outputs, executables) related to the project.
 * '''slots''': this directory contains one subdirectory for each result in progress. The subdirectories are named 0, 1, ... N-1.

Each result executes in particular slot directory. The core client creates 'soft link' files in the slot directory, linking to the corresponding files in the project directory.

== Format of account files ==
The format of an account file is as follows:
{{{
<account>
    <master_url>http://www.myproject.com/</master_url>
    <authenticator>3f7b90793a0175ad0bda68684e8bd136</authenticator>
    [ <project_name>...</project_name> ]
    [ <tentative/> ]
    <project_preferences>
    <resource_share>1</resource_share>
    <project_specific>
        ...
    </project_specific>
    [ <venue>...</venue> ]
    </project_preferences>
</account>
}}}

The `<project_preferences>` field is the 'project_prefs' field of the user database record.