Re: Version caching

On Sun, Nov 21, 2010 at 9:54 AM, Kevin Connor Arpe <kevinarpe_at_gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have a question about version caching.  I am using the latest
> (stable) version on both Linux and WinSlows.
>
> As I understand Subversion, once a version is committed, basically it
> can never changed.  A version is written in stone.

Not without committing serious database arcanery well below beyond the
reach of anyone who has a daytime job and doesn't like trying to
outsmart the authors of a system. The basic idea is that every change
is permanently logged and never abandoned: Deleting accidents, like
somebody committing big old DVD's by accident, turns out to be pretty
difficult.

> If that is true, I was hoping Subversion could cache each versioned
> copy that it downloads.  Currently, it seems running "log", "diff",
> and "merge" takes quite some time (I am very far away from my
> Subversion server at work... half the world.)

The normal technique is to use 'svn:externals' to keep particular
branches, or tags, checked out for local comparison. Update regularly,
and you should be able to do most comparisons far faster.

Another possibility is to keep a local mirror, using svnsync, to run
your comparisons against.

Another possiblity is to acknowledge the difficulty of using such a
centralized system as subversion, and switch to git or possibly
mercurial. There are some good "gitsvn" gateways that might be
helpful.

> Is there an add-on or option I can use to ask Subversion to never
> throw away a version it sees?  That way if I run "log" or "merge" or
> "diff" against an older version I have seen before... poof!  it is
> immediately available.

By "older version" I assume you mean "checked out at a different time".

> I thought about mirroring the server in read-only mode, but I really
> just want a local cache for versions that I might be looking at.

Definitely look at svnsync to maintain a local repository for comparisions.

> Cheers.  Great product... keep it up!
>
> Kevin
> Hongkong
>
Received on 2010-11-21 21:38:08 CET