Spurious svn:mergeinfo updated on random, untouched files on minimalistic merge?!

Hi! We recently upggraded our svn server to 1.6.5 to enable the usage of the
svn merge tracking capabilities but failed to use it in more than one project
due unwanted properties changes set on unchanged files.

This makes it very hard to keep track of the real changes vs. svn internal
changes.

We always merge the root directories so I'd expect svn:mergeinfo properties to
occur only on the root directory node. In fact we receive property changes on
files I'd be totally unaware why that one should differ!

Here is my problem in a simple use case:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) I created a /branches/1.1.x from /trunk in svn rev #3101

2) We continued developing on /trunk

3) Just to tryout the merge tracking feature I merged
   /branches/1.1.x back to /trunk

   Actually the branch does contain NO COMMIT at all!

Expected result:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd expect, that I receive exactly one filechange: A svn:mergeinfo
property update on /trunk which indicates my merge 3101-3110.

Actual results:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Actually the svn:mergeinfo of many (random) file are updated and
I have absolutley no clue why!

Here is one example:

    <empty svn:mergeinfo>
gets to
 
/branches/1.1.x/views-xlsexport/src/test/java/setup/export/ExportTest.java:310
2-3110
 
/branches/wss-850_devel/views-xlsexport/src/test/java/setup/export/ExportTest.
java:2622-2680

WTF? That branch "wss-850_devel" even no longer exists!

On the parent directories "setup" the situation is similar:

    /branches/1.1.x/views-xlsexport/src/main/java/setup:3101-3113*
    /branches/wss-850_devel/views-xlsexport/src/main/java/setup:2622-2680
    /trunk/views-xlsexport/src/main/java/setup:2-2590*

I checked out and ressureceted that expunged branch wss-850_devel
to check if svn:mergeinfo properties have been defined there.
Negative.

Questions:
~~~~~~~~~~
So is anybody able to give us a hint or explain what happens and/or what we do
wrong?
Or event better: Can anybody gives hints on the technical backgrounds?

- Why do unrelated branches appear in my mergeinfo
- Do I have wrong expectations that only one file should change?
- Are svn:merginfos repository global or locally to a revision?
- What does the /trunk related entry mean?
  I merged the dir to myself? Huh!
- What does the asterix mean (3101-3113*)

I very appreciate any hint or link to more detailled background information

Thanks a lot for your time, attention and support!

- Ben
Received on 2010-03-30 11:48:09 CEST