[svn.haxx.se] · SVN Dev · SVN Users · SVN Org · TSVN Dev · TSVN Users · Subclipse Dev · Subclipse Users · this month's index

Re: Working path created but not repository

From: Ben Collins-Sussman <sussman_at_collab.net>
Date: 2004-06-15 03:29:27 CEST

On Mon, 2004-06-14 at 18:31, Ben Kucenski wrote:
> I assumed that Subversion kept a copy of all the most current files in
> browsable format and didn't just store the meta data (the file and history
> information) in non browsable format.

I think you're really confused about how subversion works. Let me spell
it out for you:

  The subversion repository has NO files or directories in it. At
least, nothing vaguely similar to the things you "commit" into it. It's
just a bunch of database tables that contain *abstract* representations
of trees. It isn't until you do a 'checkout' that the imaginary trees
in the repository database are manifested as "real" files and folders in
a working copy.

  Likewise, when you create a directory, 'svn add', then 'svn commit'
it, all you're doing is add another row or two to some table in the
repository. It's not real. It's only real in your working copy.

  The only thing that's "browseable" is your working copy. The
repository is only "browseable" via special programs that interpret the
database. These same special programs also understand how to pull
history information from the database.

>
> I gave you the transcript in the first post.

All you showed us was 'svn add'ing a directory, and committing that
change. How is that useful to us?

> The only other thing I could
> show you is a screenshot of Windows Explorer showing files and folders in
> the working copy that aren't mirrored in the repository.

Again, if you look in the repository, you won't see anything but some
database files. No matter how much you "commit" into it, you won't ever
see anything resembling your files and dirs.

>
> If it is the case that Subversion only stores information in database format
> once the intial collection of meta data is created then my other question is
> why can't I remove parent directories which have contained files or folders
> in them?

Now it sounds like you're onto a different problem. What do you mean by
"remove"? Do you mean "delete a folder with windows explorer"? Or do
you mean issuing the "svn delete" command on a folder?

>
> If I create an empty directory, commit it and then remove it, it's fine. If
> I create an empty directory, commit it, add a file and commit it and then
> try to remove the folder it refuses to commit. Even if I remove the file
> from it first and successfully commit it.

You're describing a specific series of experiments here. But your
language is ambiguous. What do you mean by "remove"? How exactly does
svn "refuse to commit"? Show us a *transcript* of you trying to do this
stuff in this paragraph. Stop making us guess.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: users-unsubscribe@subversion.tigris.org
For additional commands, e-mail: users-help@subversion.tigris.org
Received on Tue Jun 15 03:31:31 2004

This is an archived mail posted to the Subversion Users mailing list.

This site is subject to the Apache Privacy Policy and the Apache Public Forum Archive Policy.