diff --git a/tools-ng/ecdc/build.xml b/tools-ng/ecdc/build.xml
index c1a836982..8293d2856 100644
--- a/tools-ng/ecdc/build.xml
+++ b/tools-ng/ecdc/build.xml
@@ -14,47 +14,50 @@
 
 	<!-- base directory of the development environment
 		 default is current directory (sysprop user.dir) -->
-	<property name="project.dir" value="${user.dir}" />
+	<property name="ccm.project.dir" value="${user.dir}" />
 
-	<!-- lib directory of ECDC
-		 contains additional xml scripts to do the real work -->
-	<property name="tools.script.dir" value="${project.dir}/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib" />
-
-	<!-- bundles directory of ECDC
-		 contains software to be installed (e.g. Tomcat servlet container)   -->
-	<property name="tools.bundles.dir" value="${project.dir}/tools-ng/ecdc/bundles" />
+	<!-- directory layout of the ECDC development environment        -->
+	<!-- script	contains additional xml scripts to do the real work  -->
+	<property name="ccm.ecdc.script.dir" value="${ccm.project.dir}/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib" />
+	<!-- conf xml scripts containing default configuration values  -->
+	<property name="ccm.ecdc.conf.dir" value="${ccm.project.dir}/tools-ng/ecdc/conf" />
+	<!-- bundles contains software to be installed (e.g. Tomcat servlet container)   -->
+	<property name="ccm.ecdc.bundles.dir" value="${ccm.project.dir}/tools-ng/ecdc/bundles" />
 
 
-	<!-- defines essential system variables and reads the configuration property files
+	<!-- import of xml scripts to do the real work                                   -->
+
+	<!-- build-common 
+		 defines essential system variables and reads the configuration property files:
 		 runtime.property  - defines the servlet container runtime for testing
 		 build.properties  - defines details for building (compiler options, etc)
 		 ccm.properties    - defines CCM projet details, esp. the bundle file which
 							 contains configuration details and the web.xml file	-->
-	<import file="${tools.script.dir}/build-common.xml" />
+	<import file="${ccm.ecdc.script.dir}/build-common.xml" />
 
+	<!-- build-runtime
+		 prepare the test runtime environment              .                     	-->
+	<import file="${ccm.ecdc.script.dir}/build-runtime.xml" />
 
-	<!-- its task configure must be executed before any build / deploy can happen
+	<!-- build-configure
+		 its task configure must be executed before any build / deploy can happen
 		 it generates the build targets for the project specified in project.xml 	-->
-	<import file="${tools.script.dir}/build-configure.xml" />
-
-
-	<!-- essential CCM post build tasks: load database etc.                     	-->
-	<import file="${tools.script.dir}/build-ccm.xml" />
-
-
-	<!-- prepare the test runtime environment              .                     	-->
-	<import file="${tools.script.dir}/build-runtime.xml" />
+	<import file="${ccm.ecdc.script.dir}/build-configure.xml" />
 
+	<!-- build-ccm
+		 essential CCM post build tasks: load database etc.                     	-->
+	<import file="${ccm.ecdc.script.dir}/build-ccm.xml" />
 
+	<!-- build-projects
+		 is generated by target configure in build-configure and 
+		 contains all the task to do the real work                                 -->
 	<if>
 	  <bool>
 		<available file="build-projects.xml"/>
 	  </bool>
-			<!-- is generated by target configure in build-configure and 
-				 contains all the task to do the real work               -->
 			<import file="build-projects.xml" />
 		<else>
-			<import file="${tools.script.dir}/build-projects-dummy.xml" />
+			<import file="${ccm.ecdc.script.dir}/build-projects-dummy.xml" />
 			<echo>
 			You may not have been executed the preparational steps:
 			--  configure (to create the compile/build/deploy/etc scripts
@@ -62,8 +65,4 @@
 		</else>
 	</if>
 
-	<path id="tools.classpath">
-		<fileset dir="${tools.lib.dir}" includes="*.jar" />
-	</path>
-
 </project>
diff --git a/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/ccm.properties b/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/ccm.properties
index cd60da8d0..a38640f04 100644
--- a/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/ccm.properties
+++ b/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/ccm.properties
@@ -6,5 +6,5 @@
 ## to overwrite.
 ##
 # Usually you will use a specific adapted bundle! Use local.ccm.properties!
-bundle.folder=${project.dir}/ccm-ldn-aplaws/bundles/complete
+ccm.bundle.folder=${ccm.project.dir}/ccm-ldn-aplaws/bundles/complete
 
diff --git a/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/runtime.properties b/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/runtime.properties
index 3d1e96941..3ea6c634b 100644
--- a/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/runtime.properties
+++ b/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/runtime.properties
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@
 ## Server Type
 ##
 
+    app.server.vendor=apache
     app.server.type=tomcat
     # Tomcat version 5.5 not yet supported!
     #app.server.version=5.5.27
     app.server.version=6.0.18
-    app.server.vendor=apache
  
 ##
 ## Server Directory
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@
 
     app.server.bundles.name=${app.server.vendor}-${app.server.type}-${app.server.version}
     <!-- NOT NEEDED: app.server.bundles.dir=${tools.bundles.dir}/bundles  -->
-    app.server.bundles.zip=${tools.bundles.dir}/${app.server.bundles.name}.zip
+    app.server.bundles.zip=${ccm.ecdc.bundles.dir}/${app.server.bundles.name}.zip
 
-    app.server.parent.dir=${project.dir}/runtime
-    deploy.dir=${app.server.parent.dir}/${app.server.bundles.name}
-    webapp.dist.dir=${deploy.dir}/webapps
-##  deprecated, will not be used
-    webapp.conf.dir=${deploy.dir}/conf
+    app.server.parent.dir=${ccm.project.dir}/runtime
+    app.server.deploy.dir=${app.server.parent.dir}/${app.server.bundles.name}
+	app.server.conf.dir=${app.server.deploy.dir}/conf
+
+    webapp.dist.dir=${app.server.deploy.dir}/webapps
 ##  nolonger needed, handled by Mastertool
 ##  webapp.registry.dir=${webapp.conf.dir}/registry
 
diff --git a/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-ccm.xml b/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-ccm.xml
index 7b2f326e7..810315260 100644
--- a/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-ccm.xml
+++ b/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-ccm.xml
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 
+<!--  Already definded:
+		ccm.project.dir:		base dir of the development project
+		app.server.bundles.zip	name of the installation file
+		app.server.parent.dir	name of the dir to install into the server into
+		app.server.deploy.dir	dir the server are installed into (i.e. CATALINA_HOME)
+		app.server.conf.dir		name of the servers configuration dir
+		webapp.dist.dir			distribution dir for web applications      -->
+
 <project name="load">
 
-    <!--  ALREADY SET in build.xml . Wrong here!
-	<property name="project.dir" value="." />
-    -->
-
-	<import file="${tools.script.dir}/build-common.xml" />
-
 	<target name="load-bundle">
 		<echo>Loading bundle ${bundle.folder} into ${ccm.home}</echo>
-		<copy file="${bundle.folder}/cfg/applications.cfg"
+		<copy file="${ccm.bundle.folder}/cfg/applications.cfg"
               tofile=".tmp.applications.cfg" overwrite="yes" />
 		<replaceregexp file=".tmp.applications.cfg" match="#.*" replace="" byline="true" />
 		<replaceregexp file=".tmp.applications.cfg"
@@ -20,9 +22,11 @@
 		<tstamp>
 			<format pattern="yyyymmddhhmmss" property="timestamp" />
 		</tstamp>
-		<move file="${webapp.conf.dir}/registry"
-              tofile="${webapp.conf.dir}/registry.${timestamp}" preservelastmodified="yes"
+		<!-- nolonger in use
+		<move file="${app.server.conf.dir}/registry"
+              tofile="${app.server.conf.dir}/registry.${timestamp}" preservelastmodified="yes"
 			  failonerror="no" verbose="true" />
+		-->
 		<java classname="com.arsdigita.packaging.MasterTool"
               classpathref="ccm.classpath" fork="yes">
 			<sysproperty key="ccm.home" value="${ccm.home}" />
diff --git a/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-common.xml b/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-common.xml
index 8b7ed8090..8affd0662 100644
--- a/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-common.xml
+++ b/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-common.xml
@@ -2,38 +2,38 @@
 
 <project name="common">
 
-	<property name="tools.conf.dir" value="${project.dir}/tools-ng/ecdc/conf" />
-	<property name="tools.xsl.dir" value="${project.dir}/tools-ng/common/xsl" />
+	<property name="ccm.tools.xsl.dir" value="${ccm.project.dir}/tools-ng/common/xsl" />
 
 	<!-- several java programs needed for processing, esp. xml files-->
-	<property name="tools.lib.dir" value="${project.dir}/tools-ng/common/lib" />
-	<path id="tools.classpath">
-		<fileset dir="${tools.lib.dir}" includes="*.jar" />
+	<property name="ccm.tools.lib.dir" value="${ccm.project.dir}/tools-ng/common/lib" />
+	<path id="ccm.tools.classpath">
+		<fileset dir="${ccm.tools.lib.dir}" includes="*.jar" />
 	</path>
 
-	<property file="${project.dir}/local.runtime.properties" />
-	<!--  <property file="${project.dir}/runtime.ext.properties" />    -->
-	<property file="${tools.conf.dir}/runtime.properties" />
 
-	<property file="${project.dir}/local.build.properties" />
-	<!-- <property file="${project.dir}/build.ext.properties" /> -->
-	<property file="${tools.conf.dir}/build.properties" />
+	<!-- Read configuration files. First from project dir, then add 
+		 requirred defaults from ecdc directory                                  -->
+	<property file="${ccm.project.dir}/local.runtime.properties" />
+	<property file="${ccm.ecdc.conf.dir}/runtime.properties" />
+
+	<property file="${ccm.project.dir}/local.build.properties" />
+	<property file="${ccm.ecdc.conf.dir}/build.properties" />
+
+	<property file="${ccm.project.dir}/local.ccm.properties" />
+	<property file="${ccm.ecdc.conf.dir}/ccm.properties" />
 
-	<property file="${project.dir}/local.ccm.properties" />
-	<!-- <property file="${project.dir}/ccm.ext.properties" />   -->
-	<property file="${tools.conf.dir}/ccm.properties" />
 
 	<path id="ccm.classpath">
-		<path refid="tools.classpath"/>
+		<path refid="ccm.tools.classpath"/>
 		<pathelement path="${webapp.dist.dir}/WEB-INF/classes"/>
 		<fileset dir="${webapp.dist.dir}/WEB-INF/lib" includes="*.jar" />
 	</path>
-	
+
 	<condition property="correct.ant.version">
 		<antversion atleast="1.7.0" />
 	</condition>
 	
 	<!-- http://antelope.tigris.org/ -->
-	<taskdef classpathref="tools.classpath" resource="ise/antelope/tasks/antlib.xml" />
+	<taskdef classpathref="ccm.tools.classpath" resource="ise/antelope/tasks/antlib.xml" />
 
 </project>
diff --git a/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-configure.xml b/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-configure.xml
index 49b654484..1623da325 100644
--- a/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-configure.xml
+++ b/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-configure.xml
@@ -1,25 +1,26 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 
+<!--  Already definded:
+		ccm.project.dir:		base dir of the development project
+		app.server.bundles.zip	name of the installation file
+		app.server.parent.dir	name of the dir to install into the server into
+		app.server.deploy.dir	dir the server are installed into (i.e. CATALINA_HOME)
+		app.server.conf.dir		name of the servers configuration dir
+		webapp.dist.dir			distribution dir for web applications      -->
+
 <project name="configure" default="configure">
 
-    <!--  ALREADY SET in build.xml . Wrong here!
-	<property name="project.dir" value="." />
-    -->
-
-    <!-- Already imported in build.xml which imports this file  -->
-	<!--  <import file="${tools.script.dir}/build-common.xml" />  -->
-
 	<target name="configure">
 		<echo>Validating the schema of project.xml</echo>
 			
 		<!-- http://xerces.apache.org/xerces2-j/samples-dom.html#Counter -->
-		<java classname="dom.Counter" classpathref="tools.classpath"
+		<java classname="dom.Counter" classpathref="ccm.tools.classpath"
               errorproperty="project.validation.errors"
 			  outputproperty="project.validation.output">
 			<arg value="-s" />
 			<arg value="-f" />
 			<arg value="-v" />
-			<arg value="${project.dir}/project.xml" />
+			<arg value="${ccm.project.dir}/project.xml" />
 		</java>
 		<if>
 			<bool>
@@ -43,12 +44,16 @@
 
 		<!-- Building the core: build-projects.xml from projects.xml with all
              targets for compile / build / deploy
-		     uses currently the xsl templates used by the ccm scripts 							-->
+		     uses currently the xsl templates used by the ccm scripts 		-->
 		<echo message="Regenerating build-projects.xml" />
-		<xslt style="${tools.xsl.dir}/combine.xsl" in="project.xml"
-              out=".tmp.project.xml" classpathref="tools.classpath" force="yes" />
-		<xslt style="${tools.xsl.dir}/build-template.xsl" in=".tmp.project.xml"
-              out="build-projects.xml" classpathref="tools.classpath" force="yes" />
+		<xslt style="${ccm.tools.xsl.dir}/combine.xsl" 
+			  in="project.xml"
+              out=".tmp.project.xml" 
+			  classpathref="ccm.tools.classpath" force="yes" />
+		<xslt style="${ccm.tools.xsl.dir}/build-template.xsl" 
+			  in=".tmp.project.xml"
+              out="build-projects.xml" 
+			  classpathref="ccm.tools.classpath" force="yes" />
 		<delete file=".tmp.project.xml"/>
 			
 		<!-- Building ccm.classpath which used to contain a list with dirs 
diff --git a/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-runtime.xml b/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-runtime.xml
index c6efc60ca..eca3b51c7 100644
--- a/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-runtime.xml
+++ b/tools-ng/ecdc/scriptlib/build-runtime.xml
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 
-<project name="appserver" default="start">
+<!--  Already definded:
+		ccm.project.dir:		base dir of the development project
+		app.server.bundles.zip	name of the installation file
+		app.server.parent.dir	name of the dir to install into the server into
+		app.server.deploy.dir	dir the server are installed into (i.e. CATALINA_HOME)
+		app.server.conf.dir		name of the servers configuration dir
+		webapp.dist.dir			distribution dir for web applications      -->
 
-        <!-- already set
-	<property name="project.dir" value="." />
-	-->
-    <!--  already imported, gets wrong here!
-	<import file="build-common.xml" />   -->
+<project name="appserver" default="start">
 
 	<target name="install-tomcat">
 		<echo>Installing app server into ${deploy.dir}</echo>
@@ -16,37 +18,43 @@
 				<exclude name="**/webapps/**" />
 			</patternset>
 		</unzip>
-    <!-- Nolonger NEEDED! when lib files are copied to another location?
-     -->
-		<replaceregexp file="${webapp.conf.dir}/catalina.properties" match="shared.loader=(.*)" 
+    	<!-- Nolonger NEEDED! when lib files are copied to another location  -->
+		<replaceregexp file="${app.server.conf.dir}/catalina.properties" match="shared.loader=(.*)" 
 			replace="shared.loader=\1,${catalina.base}/webapps/WEB-INF/classes,${catalina.base}/webapps/WEB-INF/lib/*.jar" 
 			byline="true" />
+		<!-- Copy additional files needed for operation   -->
 		<copy file="ccm-core/lib/xercesImpl.jar"
-              todir="${deploy.dir}/common/endorsed" preservelastmodified="true"/>
+              todir="${app.server.deploy.dir}/common/endorsed" preservelastmodified="true"/>
 	</target>
 
 	<target name="start">
 		<java classname="org.apache.catalina.startup.Bootstrap" fork="yes">
+			<!--  nolonger needed ? (if anything works as expected)   
 			<sysproperty key="ccm.home" value="${ccm.home}" />
 			<sysproperty key="ccm.conf" value="${webapp.registry.dir}" />
 			<sysproperty key="com.arsdigita.util.Assert.enabled" value="true" />
-			<sysproperty key="log4j.configuration" value="file:///${webapp.conf.dir}/log4j.xml" />
+			<sysproperty key="log4j.configuration" value="file:///${app.server..conf.dir}/log4j.xml" />
 			<sysproperty key="java.protocol.handler.pkgs" value="${java.protocol.handler.pkgs}" />
+			-->
+			<!--  nolonger needed ? (if anything works as expected)   
 			<sysproperty key="java.ext.dirs" 
-					value="${env.JAVA_HOME}/jre/lib/ext;${env.JAVA_HOME}/lib/ext;${deploy.dir}/webapps/WEB-INF/system" />
-			<sysproperty key="catalina.config" value="file:///${webapp.conf.dir}/catalina.properties" />
-			<sysproperty key="java.endorsed.dirs" value="${deploy.dir}/common/endorsed" />
-			<sysproperty key="catalina.base" value="${deploy.dir}" />
-			<sysproperty key="catalina.home" value="${deploy.dir}" />
+					value="${env.JAVA_HOME}/jre/lib/ext;${env.JAVA_HOME}/lib/ext;${app.server.deploy.dir}/webapps/WEB-INF/system" />
+			-->
+			<!--  nolonger needed ? (if anything works as expected)   
+			<sysproperty key="java.endorsed.dirs" value="${app.server.deploy.dir}/common/endorsed" />
 			<sysproperty key="javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilderFactory" value="org.apache.xerces.jaxp.DocumentBuilderFactoryImpl" />
 			<sysproperty key="javax.xml.parsers.SAXParserFactory" value="org.apache.xerces.jaxp.SAXParserFactoryImpl" />
 			<sysproperty key="javax.xml.transform.TransformerFactory" value="com.icl.saxon.TransformerFactoryImpl" />
+			-->
+			<sysproperty key="catalina.base" value="${app.server.deploy.dir}" />
+			<sysproperty key="catalina.home" value="${app.server.deploy.dir}" />
+			<sysproperty key="catalina.config" value="file:///${app.server.conf.dir}/catalina.properties" />
 			<jvmarg value="-Xms256m" />
 			<jvmarg value="-Xmx512m" />
 			<jvmarg value="-XX:PermSize=128m" />
 			<jvmarg value="-XX:MaxPermSize=128m" />
 			<classpath>
-				<pathelement path="${deploy.dir}/bin/bootstrap.jar" />
+				<pathelement path="${app.server.deploy.dir}/bin/bootstrap.jar" />
 			</classpath>
 		</java>
 	</target>