Possible problem with Tortoise SVN 1.8

[Bob_Schor]

I just built a new PC, and when installing Tortoise SVN, I upgraded to the latest version of the Client, 1.8.2.  There is a note on the TortoiseSVN site that says that Version 1.8 represents a new storage format for the Working Copy, rendering the new WC incompatible with 1.7 Clients, but as I'm the only "user" of the WC, and we haven't changed the Server handling the Repository, this seemed like a safe move.

I just Updated a Project.  To my surprise (and possible horror), Tortoise indicated that it was merging a number of changed VIs (it had never done merges of VIs in previous 1.6 or 1.7 clients).  In my panic, I accidently deleted the SVN description of what it had done, so I'm not sure how to figure out if I am truly "in trouble" here.

Has anyone else using TortoiseSVN with LabVIEW updated to a 1.8 client?  Are you seeing what are described as merges when you update?  Is this (adversely) affecting your LabVIEW code?  Any ideas on a work-around, or how to deal with this issue?

Bob Schor

[GerdW]

Hi Bob,

I use Tortoise and also upgraded to the latest version.

When upgrading from 1.7.x to 1.8 you have once to call "Clean up" (or similar, it's described in the upgrade notes) to convert SVN descriptions on the working directory. No merging, no hassle.

Everything runs fine like before...

[billko]

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@GerdW wrote:

Hi Bob,

I use Tortoise and also upgraded to the latest version.

When upgrading from 1.7.x to 1.8 you have once to call "Clean up" (or similar, it's described in the upgrade notes) to convert SVN descriptions on the working directory. No merging, no hassle.

Everything runs fine like before...

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What's annoying about this (and other similar Tortoise SVN upgrades in the past) is that all the folders and files with old SVN info lose their icons, making it difficult to remember which folders are versioned.  The only clue is that if you right-click on a folder, it will say something about updating or upgrading.  i wish they could put some sort of icon to tell you this is a versioned folder, but it needs to be converted.

[Bob_Schor]

This might be a case of the Boy Who Cried Wolf.  I've just built a new PC, and have just completed installing LabVIEW.  I'm using "old" Working Copies (from a previous PC) that were created with TSVN 1.7.13.  On this machine, I've installed 1.8.2.

I did some editing (forgetting the general rule to Update First), then remembered I hadn't updated.  I clicked "Update", and got a message to "Upgrade to Version 1.8".  I presume this is the "Clean-up" message that you mentioned (though there is also a "Clean-up" on the right-click drop-down menu, which I did not do).

After doing this, I again tried to Update, and that's when I saw that TSVN was reporting that it merged several VI files.

I've since tried to duplicate this behavior (by copying over an un-upgraded 1.7-style Working Copy and going through the same motions_, but I didn't see any merges.  Not sure what's going on, but am a tad nervous.  I'll keep experimenting ...

[tst]

I think that at some point (I think it was actually 1.7) TSVN added a feature that automatically merges changes if you update when you already have modified files. Obviously, this can be bad if these are things like VIs or LV XML files (like projects or libraries) which don't really like the merging SVN does. I seem to recall that disabling that feature is not too straightforward (I think you have to open the config file and tell SVN to use an executable which doesn't do anything, like a batch file, but I don't have the instructions which I'm sure I wrote down in our SVN docs in front of me).

[Bob_Schor]

I've done some more testing, and have talked to several other people who have upgraded a Working Copy to Tortoise Subversion 1.8.  I have attempted to duplicate the conditions that led TSVN to report that (on an update) it had merged VIs, but this did not recur.  I've since upgraded other Working Copies, done other Updates and Commits, and have not detected any problems with Tortoise Subversion 1.8.

I still do not understand why my first update with TSVN showed a Merged status for some VIs, but it appears that (a) the behavior of TSVN with LabVIEW code seems unchanged, and (b) whatever was done on my initial Update left my VIs completely undamaged, suggesting a "VI Merge" did not, in fact, take place.

The bottom line is that TortoiseSVN continues to be an extremely useful tool for LabVIEW developers to use to manage their code.

Bob Schor

[tst]

This is the relevant section - http://tortoisesvn.tigris.org/faq.html#noautomerge

Like I said, I'm pretty sure this was added in 1.7.

[Bob_Schor]

Thanks.  I've seen this (and re-read it yesterday trying to research the "merge" that I observed), but have never bothered to install it, and never seemed to need it.  The other thing that I was considering is that TSVN will not to a merge on files whose "mime" type it identifies as binary.  This is easier to configure, as you can do it by editing TSVN's Settings, a text file that is accessible if you go into the Settings option in TSVN and click on the Edit button.  As I'd never altered this, either, I decided to leave it at the default, and have not been "bothered" except for the initial observation yesterday that I'm now willing to consider a one-time "fluke", possibly related to the first time running TSVN on a new PC with a fresh install of lots of software (including multiple versions of LabVIEW and TSVN 1.8.2).