There are directory layouts which dictate that resources (e.g. images, configuration files, etc.) and source code files are in different directories (e.g. by Maven). So it would be very helpful if a user could specify for each module (or at least project - e.g. under compiler settings) where the resources are located. These resources should then be copied over to the respective output directory for the classes. Example (as defined by Maven): src/main/java : Source code directory src/main/resources: Resources (e.g. images, configuration files, etc.) target/classes: Output directory for classes and resources src/main/test: Source code directory for test classes src/main/resources: Resources (e.g. images, configuration files, etc.) used for running unit tests target/test-classes: Output directory for test classes and test resources.