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How to use Subversion with Eclipse
An anonymous reader writes "From the beginning, Eclipse included tight integration with the Concurrent Versions System (CVS) in order to provide access to change-management capabilities. Now, many projects -- notably those run by the Apache Software Foundation -- are using a different change-management system: Subversion. This article demonstrates how to add Subversion support to Eclipse and how to perform basic version-control activities from the IDE."
I never understood why IDE integration with Source Control is so important. I think it is much easier to keep track of what you are changing if you explicitly go to the Source Control client and check in/check out exactly what you want. Am I missing something?
When a man lies he murders a part of the world.
... Wait till Eclipse happens, then attempt coup or other act of Subversion.
This is particularly effective in places relying on visual recognition algorithms using only the visual spectrum in ambient light conditions.
Unfortunately it might take several tried to get the timing right, and rebuilding a system just to have another go-around can be too time comsuming for most practitioners.
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Why is it everytime there's an eclipse posting on slashdot, someone tries to sell us IDEA? Rather spammish don't you think?
It might very well be a decent dev environment, but if you want to use it commrecially it's 500 bucks.
Eclipse is also more than just java. Apples and oranges, man.
Funnily enough I was setting this up yesterday... and I discovered for Eclipse 3.2 Tigris suggest using Subclipse 1.1.x as explained here. Also, for Mac OS X/Linux you need to first install JavaHL, as explained here.
>>I never understood why IDE integration with Source Control is so important.
IMO, the reason it's desirable is because a separate interface for source control changes your focus. I haven't seen any version control software that is really well integrated. Ideally, vcs (small-caps, version control software) should be invisible -- running in the background, checking out files as you need them, saving revisions with each change, maybe version stamping with each day/build/successful test pass/etc., and only intruding into the developer's thoughts when contention for a file exists. For example, if you're a solo developer you shouldn't even see the source control in day-to-day development. Only when you have an "uh, oh" moment and want to go back should you have to think about bringing up an interface or requesting an older file.
With multiple developers, the same thing. So long as nobody needs a file simultaneously for editing, vc stays out of the way. When two people need it, then the software starts asking questions.
Ideally, I'd like vcs to work like The Wayback Machine (archive.org) -- it's just there, always running, making archives in the background without any effort on the part of the web developer/administrator and nobody's the wiser. If you never need an old version, fine. But if you do, it's there for you.
I've been working with Subversion, especially from within Eclipse using the Subclipse plugin. I had earlier experience with the CVS plugin that comes with Eclipse. This is with Eclipse 3.1.1, Subclipse 3.0.1 and Subversion server version "SVN/1.1.4".
Some bad differences:
Some differences I'm neutral about:
Good things:
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What's it all about?
Is it good, or is it whack?
But it does support versioning the symlink itself (per the FAQ). Do you really want to store multiple copies of the symlink's source?
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
Subversion FAQ about Symbolic Links:
You should also read up on Subversion External Definitions -- it looks as though you misunderstood how they really work.
We call it art because we have names for the things we understand.
This is the *one* thing (really, only thing) that I like about VMS...every file is automatically versioned. I create a foo.c, it gets saved as foo.c;1. I edit it, save it, then there's a foo.c;2. I can always go back and look at foo.c;1 if I want and diff the two. What's also really slick is that you don't have to specify the version number ... it always assumes you want the current version, but if you do edit foo.c;1 again, and save it, then it becomes foo.c;3 (because there is already a foo.c;2).
If any other operating system (preferably a Unix-based one)'s filesystem implemented this, I'd be in hog heaven. Reiser is supposed to have the concept of plugins, and I even took a look at the docs, but fs hacking is way out of my league.
You don't get *true* version control, of course...comments, checkouts, properties, etc., but just knowing that you can have an uh-oh moment and go back one or two versions is a real life saver.
Great! Can't wait to get coding in Python and C++ with this excellent IDEA IDE.
Oh, wait. Java only? Nevermind, I'll stick with Eclipse.
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What about the Subversive plugin?
It was basically developed as a better alternative to Subclipse, in the same way that Subversion was made as a better alternative to CVS.
I've been using Subversive for the past few months, and for me, it works much better than Subclipse, though YMMV.
http://sreidtech.wordpress.com/2006/07/05/subversi on-sucks/
With Intellij Idea, this is how it works, with the caveat that the incremental, automatic checkins are done on a local version control system, and the developer decides when to commit to the actual vcs. Like pretty much everything else in Idea, it works great. You get superfine rollback control for even the smallest of changes. The only thing I'd change is to make the versioning persist across Idea restarts.
there is no need to sign your posts. this isn't usenet. your username is right there above your post. stop it.
Our developers transitioned to Subversion about 6 months ago, and since we almost all use Eclipse, we moved to Subclipse. We experienced lots of problems, particularly related to slow performance and branch-to-branch merges behaving strangely. Subsequently we moved to the Subversive plugin, which even in its beta state was more usable for us. Since then it is at RC stage and has proven very good in an environment with sometimes daily branching per developer. It feels much more like the CVS plugin than Subclipse does though that is obviously a subjective thing.
r oject=subversive
It is open source, has frequent updates, and retains a lean feel. Check it out: http://www.polarion.org/index.php?page=overview&p
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Why is this under IT, and not under Developers?
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Rolo D. Monkey
Right now, subclipse is buggy, unreliable and slow, particularly on large projects. I save a lot of time by using the command line svn client.
If you buy between (usually) December and January, they offer it as a SUBSTANTIAL discount to individual users. Usually around $250 or less. This is called a "Personal" subscription or somesuch.
Personally, I think it's well worth the money. I've tried Eclipse, and Idea seems a lot more streamlined and less awkward.
As much as I aim to avoid MS, it dominates my organisation, and unfortunately the rest of the world. An expensive commercial plug-in from Teamprise was available. So this got me looking around and I found that Visual Studio Team System Foundation Server exposed a soap service for interacting with its repository. So this reminded me of an old Dr. Dobbs article which led me back to the VSTSEclipse project on sourceforge.
The project hasn't released any source yet, however looking at other mailing lists it appeared that there had been some activity in the past. I have a feeling that Teamprise actually bought up the VSTSEclipse team, given that I saw a post where a VSTSEclipse developer claimed to have started working for them. So that leaves you with the question as to who else is doing this. Which leads you to thinking that 'I'd like to write an open sourced intermediary service which communicates with VSTS Foundation Server and exposes a familiar and open interface to the rest of the world; including an Eclipse Plug-in.
Does this exist yet? Anyone else interested?
Last time I checked though, eclipse didn't like symlinks with svn on a mac. It totally hangs when doing anything with a project that has one.
Transitioned? Sounds like you've contracted a pretty severe case of management-speak. Been leveraging one too many paradigm-shifting synergies, perhaps? The word you're looking for is "switched". As an antidote, I recommend playing Bullshit Bingo at your next meeting.
But thanks for the link to Subversive! :)
A buddy of mine has a nice howto on setting up subversion to tunnel everything over an SSH connection using private keys on Windows. Check it out.. http://marcchung.com/2006/03/11/ssh-remix/