It is to this directory that intermediate files are generated. This directory contains the project release distributions. These are often project.tar.gz, project.zip, project.rpm or project.war format. There are generally two forms of releases. Binary releases and source releases.
Binary releases consist of all the components end-users require to use the product.
This may include jars and generated documentation. A source release generally includes an image of CVS repository. The source release will often include generated documentation. This directory is meaningful only to release managers. End-user should be oblivious to it.