TorttoiseSVN Tips

These are a few things I've discovered out about using TortoiseSVN, hopefully you'll learn something or maybe you already knew!

• When you enter your commit messages you can do simple formatting.
  
  *bold text*
  _underlined text_
  ^italic text^
• You can drag and drop files onto the commit window.
• To clear recent messages from your log history, you just select it and press the delete key. This is handy if you want to use your 'recent messages' list as a 'common messages' list.
• If you want to move files around inside your working copy, perhaps to a different sub-folder, use the right-mouse drag-and-drop handler and then from the context menu select "SVN Move versioned files here".
• To exclude files from being commited to your repository (for example .log, thumbs.db or .tmp files) then you can either set up a global filter (applies to all working copies on the PC TortoiseSVN is installed on) by choosing TortoiseSVN -> Settings -> General and entering "*.tmp *.log thumbs.db" in the "Global Ignore Pattern" box. Note the use of spaces as the delimiter.
  
  It is probably better to use the svn ignore option, which is per working copy by right clicking on a file type that you don't want to commit and choosing TortoiseSVN -> Add to ignore list -> *.your-file-extension-here
• If your files are on a network drive or a removable drive and your overlays aren't working properly, then choose TortoiseSVN -> Settings -> Icon Overlays and check the tickbox labelled Removable drives and/or Network drives.
• If you have committed files to your respository that shouldn't be there, but you still want on your machine (think .log files or thumbs.db) then by hold down the Shift key before you right click on the file/folder and you'll get a few bonus menu items. Among them is "Delete (keep local)". This pretty much does what is says! The next time you do a commit, then these files will be deleted from the repository.

• Posted in:
• Subversion
• Resources
• TortoiseSVN

2 comments

1. That last tip was a gem
   
   Comment by akeem – November 26, 2008
2. AFAIK the ignore option:
   TortoiseSVN -> Add to ignore list ->
   
   is per repo. The property is saved against the containing folder and included on a commit. Any updated working copy will have the property.
   
   Another way to set an ignore is to use windows explorer, right click on the working copy's root folder -> Proerties -> Subversion -> Properties -> New -> svn:ignore
   
   Add a list of files you don't want in the repo (*.db, *.log, etc etc). You have an option to apply recursively throughout the working copy.
   
   Comment by exh – December 04, 2008