What are best practices for file structure when organizing scripts?

Question

Over the last few years, I've started dabbling in scripting using Python, R and Matlab. My background is not in computer science, rather I'm an ecologist by training. I've written and gathered dozens of scripts from each programming environment since I began dabbling as a computer ecologist. To further complicate matters, I have copies of scripts from a work server that I run on personal computers. Things have really become out of control and I hope to restructure my organizational scheme. To date, I've loosely organized scripts by project within folders--which has led to dozens of scripts within dozens of hidden folders. I also have folders within folders of previous versions of scripts. Finally, my question for the experienced programmers out there: What are some best practices for organizing years worth of old scripts and starting fresh? For example, should I focus on a creating a central repository or is a project-based approach more appropriate? How should I incorporate handling different, older versions of scripts? Any advice on how to proceed would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I keep mine by language, for example

/opt/python
/opt/r
/opt/matlab

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I also have folders within folders of previous versions of scripts.

You my friend should discover the greatness of git