Advanced Topics
$ svn propset svn:log '* button.c: Fix a compiler warning.' -r11 --revprop property 'svn:log' set on repository revision '11' $ But even if you haven't checked out a working copy from that repository, you can still affect the property change by providing the repository's root URL: $ svn propset svn:log '* button.c: Fix a compiler warning.' -r11 --revprop \ http://svn.example.com/repos/project property 'svn:log' set on repository revision '11' $ Note that the ability to modify these unversioned properties must be explicitly added by the repository administrator (see the section called “Implementing Repository Hooks”). Since the properties aren't versioned, you run the risk of losing information if you aren't careful with your edits. The repository administrator can setup methods to protect against this loss, and by default, modification of unversioned properties is disabled. Users should, where possible, use svn propedit instead of svn propset. While the end result of the commands is identical, the former will allow them to see the current value of the property they are about to change, which helps them to verify that they are, in fact, making the change they think they are making. This is especially true when modifying unversioned revision properties. Also, it is significantly easier to modify multiline property values in a text editor than at the command line.
Properties and the Subversion Workflow Now that you are familiar with all of the property-related svn subcommands, let's see how property modifications affect the usual Subversion workflow. As we mentioned earlier, file and directory properties are versioned, just like your file contents. As a result, Subversion provides the same opportunities for merging—in cleanly or conflicting fashions—someone else's modifications into your own. And as with file contents, your property changes are local modifications, only made permanent when you commit them to the repository with svn commit. Your property changes can be easily unmade, too—the svn revert command will restore your files and directories to their unedited states, contents, properties, and all. Also, you can receive interesting information about the state of your file and directory properties by using the svn status and svn diff commands. $ svn status calc/button.c M calc/button.c $ svn diff calc/button.c Property changes on: calc/button.c ___________________________________________________________________ Name: copyright + (c) 2006 Red-Bean Software $ Notice how the status subcommand displays M in the second column instead of the first. That is because we have modified the properties on calc/button.c, but not modified its textual 45