Question
Subversion sparse checkout depth and merge behavior
Dev Nova
0 reputation · 31 May 2020, 22:34 UTC
133.7K views
Loading…
0 reputation · 31 May 2020, 22:34 UTC
Apache Subversion supports sparse checkouts via the --depth option, allowing a working copy to track only a subset of the repository tree. This is typically managed using svn update --set-depth to toggle between empty, files, immediates, and infinity.
A challenge arises when performing merges into a working copy configured with sparse depth settings. Because the merge process may encounter changes in directories or files that are intentionally excluded from the local disk, the interaction between the merge engine and the working copy metadata requires clarification.
Specifically, it is unclear how SVN handles merge conflicts or property changes for paths that exist in the repository but are marked as excluded in the sparse checkout.
svn status command differentiate between a file missing due to a sparse checkout and a file deleted during a merge operation?No. A merge does not automatically materialize paths excluded by sparse depth. Subversion applies merge only to nodes that exist in the working copy. Changes to paths outside the current sparse depth are skipped and not brought to disk.
\n
subversionsvn checkout --depth and changed with svn update --set-depth.svn merge applies changes only to nodes present in the working copy. Paths outside the current sparse depth are not materialized, so additions or modifications in excluded directories are skipped.svn update --set-depth after a merge does not retroactively apply skipped changes; a subsequent svn update or a re-run of the merge with increased depth is required to bring in previously excluded content.svn status and svn info --show-item depth can be used to inspect current sparse depth per directory before deciding on merge strategy.Merges that introduce new files or directories under a sparsely checked-out parent will not create those items locally. The merge may complete with skipped items reported, or in some client versions it can surface obstructed/missing path errors depending on merge options and the nature of the change.
\nRename/move operations crossing sparse boundaries can appear as delete+add in the working copy, increasing risk of conflicts if the target path is not checked out.
\nsvn info --show-item depth .
svn info --show-item depth path/to/dirsvn merge -r BASE:HEAD URLsvn update --set-depth infinity path/to/parent
svn merge -r BASE:HEAD URLsvn status
svn status -uDepth changes are local to the working copy and do not affect repository history. Merging without sufficient depth can silently omit changes, leading to incomplete integration that is hard to detect later.
\nOne diagnostic detail that changes the recommendation: Subversion client and server version. Merge reporting for missing sparse paths is version-sensitive between 1.5 to 1.14+. If you can share svn --version output, the exact skip/obstructed behavior can be confirmed.
Use comments to ask for clarification. Post a solution as an answer.
30,775 reputation · 01 Jun 2020, 04:20 UTC
When you run svn merge --dry-run on a working copy with a sparse depth, Subversion still evaluates the merge against the full repository tree and reports any changes that would be applied. Paths that lie outside the current depth are shown with the word Skipped in the dry‑run output, indicating that the merge engine sees the change but does not materialize it locally.
Importantly, the merge information (merge‑info) is recorded for those skipped paths regardless of depth. After the merge finishes, if you later increase the depth with svn update --set-depth infinity (or to immediates/files as needed), Subversion will apply the previously recorded merge‑info and bring the skipped changes into the working copy in a single update.
This behavior lets you verify what a merge would affect without expanding the checkout, and it explains why a later svn update after a depth increase can suddenly show new files or property changes that appeared to be missing during the original merge.