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Re: What is the .svn/empty-file for?

From: Max Bowsher <maxb_at_ukf.net>
Date: 2005-01-05 19:55:09 CET

Erik Huelsmann wrote:
>> On Wed, Jan 05, 2005 at 08:29:57AM +0100, Erik Huelsmann wrote:
>>> Subversion needs an empty input bytestream when sending files to its
>>> server (and some other cases). That's what the empty file is used for.
>>> Hope that answers your question?
>>
>> Now I'm intrigued.
>>
>> What's wrong with /dev/null? Or creating a temp file as needed? Why
>> clutter up every .svn directory?
>>
>> Color me curious,
>> Steve
>
> /dev/null is less portable :-)
>
> But also: are /dev/null, NUL: and all other device names referring to the
> same principle guaranteed to return EOF immediately after opening the
> file?
>
> FWIW: our compatibility guarantees don't let us remove it from the working
> copies until 2.0....

Actually, no. HACKING says:

'a minor release is allowed to make
 a working copy or repository that doesn't work with previous minor
 releases, where "make" could mean "upgrade" as well as "create".'

Of course, in this case, it wouldn't be worth it.

Max.

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Received on Wed Jan 5 19:58:18 2005

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