TortoiseSVN: Why can't I add an external (project) to the ROOT of my working copy?

3
votes

Quick Summary:

I'm new to SVN and need some help with externals. I'm trying to add a separate project to the root of my local working copy, but TortoiseSVN only lets me set the externals property to a subfolder.

Details:

I found a set of scripts here on stackoverflow that can be used with all of my MS Access projects. I've placed it into its own folder (project) in my SVN repo, and I want to reference it in each of my MS Access projects. Presumably, adding an svn:externals property would be the best way to accomplish this, but I can't seem to save the property unless I set the "Local path" to a subfolder.

Screenshot of the property I'm trying to add: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/b9xwLnfqaRjllQwxhO4gT9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

(for the record: I plan on using the ^/AccessDecomposer/trunk instead of the URL shown in the pic)

I've tried . and ./ and a few other things, but when I try to save the property I get an error saying Invalid svn:externals property on 'C:\Development\Access\BeneStr' (which is my working copy), because target '' is an absolute path or involves '..' (which it's not!)

The error message: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-gwfPnzGrID3DKCHo3KkvtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Only 2 links allowed. I'll see if I can add a comment with a screenshot of my repo later.

Any suggestions? Am I doing something wrong? Is this not allowed? Am I misunderstanding the purpose of externals?

3
svntortoisesvnsvn-externals
Here's what my repo looks like: <picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/…> – user2297468
I found a similar question that was solved by putting the common file into a separate repository. I'll give that a try, but I really wanted to have them in the same repo. <stackoverflow.com/questions/6988030/…> – user2297468

3 Answers

0
votes

I'm not an expert of svn, but I asked today how to do the exact same thing, and i was told that externals cloning in the root is not supported.. Hope it helps

0
votes

It has nothing to do with it being the root folder. According to the documentation, an external folder must be imported into a non-existent sub-folder. If you want to load files into an existing folder, you have to import the files themselves. Since you want to do this in the same repo, that's the best option for you.

0
votes

I learned by trial and error (and a lot of swearing) that you mustn't set your external property on the root on a local copy (although nothing actually prevents you from doing so, not even the Tortoise GUI client most of us use).

Instead, place it on a sub-folder, the way that it points even deeper, to create a sub-folder in that sub-folder. I know it sucks so badly, and I know no good reason for that, but that's the way it is.

LOCAL_WORKING_COPY [nope, don't place an external prop here]
|
+- subfolder [yes, place it here, and point to 'sub_subfolder']
   |
   +- sub_subfolder [not already existing]