OK, so how hard will it be to upgrade SVN to provide
the "preserve-file-timestamps" option ? Is it completely
impossible because the "DB" is hardwired with no
provision for expansion and the concept is alien to all
the SVN code ? Or would it be easy ?
Where can an SVN newcomer go to learn about the
SVN architecture and how to attack this problem ?
Thanks in advance,
Best Regards, Dave
At 09:56 AM 1/3/2007, Mike Brenner wrote:
>Hi Dave,
>
>Yes, you understand correctly.
>
>Subversion does not have any equivalent
>to "use-file-modify-times".
>
>Subversion destroys that information
>when it puts the file into the repository.
>When you "svn co" or "svn update", the
>bastardized file comes out of the repository
>with the modification date set to the commit date.
>
>In my opinion, this destruction of the most
>important information in a file (its modification date)
>constitutes the biggest design flaw in subversion.
>
>Svn serves its one use case well.
>
>Keeping the modification date intact
>would expand its usefulness to other use cases.
>
>Mike Brenner
>
>
>Dave Nadler wrote:
>>Right Mike, thanks for clarifying. If a file was last edited
>>back in 1991, we need the file timestamp to remain 1991
>>until somebody really changes it.
>>Do I understand correctly that "use-file-modify-times"
>>or equivalent just doesn't exist ?
>>Thanks again,
>>Best Regards, Dave
>>At 11:19 AM 1/2/2007, Mike Brenner wrote:
>>>Hi Andreas,
>>>
>>>That ("use-commit-times") did not answer the question
>>>"when it's checked into and out of the respository"
>>>"how can I get subversion to preserve the date-time "
>>>"when the file was last *really* changed?".
>>>
>>>The "use-commit-times" specifically uses the time
>>>you committed into the library, as opposed to
>>>the time you last CHANGED the file. And it does not
>>>even do that! If you change a file in 1999, then you
>>>move it into subversion in 2005, then you
>>>take it out of subversion and re-check it into
>>>subversion in 2007, it will have the date 2007,
>>>not 2005. So it is not the time it last changed
>>>its check-in date into subversion, but rather the
>>>MOST RECENT check-in date into subversion.
>>>
>>>What subversion needs is the option to
>>>"use-file-modify-times" instead of commit times.
>>>If that option were to become available, then
>>>the first time someone started copying files
>>>around, they would see the problem and
>>>start using that "use-file-modify-times"
>>>option!
>>>
>>>Mike Brenner
>>
>>>Date: Mon, 01 Jan 2007 17:41:19 -0500
>>>To: users@subversion.tigris.org
>>>From: Dave Nadler <Dave.Nadler@nadler.com>
>>>Subject: preserving date-time of files in repository
>>>
>>>OK, I know that pulling out a file with an old date may cause a
>>>build to not do something; happy to do a clean/build if I must
>>>revert to an older version of a file.
>>>
>>>How can I get subversion to preserve the date-time of a file when
>>>its checked into and out of the repository ? The real time-stamp
>>>of when the file was last *really* changed is an important piece
>>>of information, and we need to preserve this. Especially during
>>>migration to use of subversion !
>>>
>>>Help ! I read the pragmatic book, searched the documentation, and
>>>cannot find out how to do this (or if it is indeed possible).
>>>Apologies if it is documented and I've somehow overlooked it...
>>>
>>>Thanks in advance,
>>>Best Regards, Dave
>>
>>Dave Nadler, USA East Coast voice (978) 263-0097, drn@nadler.com
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Received on Sun Jan 7 17:30:45 2007