git-svn: multiple fetch lines

Hello,

I'm in a conversation with the support fellow of the very nice Tower git interface for OS X and we need clarification on a point. Does git-svn explicitly support multiple "fetch =" lines in an svn-remote section or is it just an accident that it works? My belief is that such support is intended and his is that it is accidental.

You can see a more detailed explanation of why you would want to use multiple fetch lines on this fellow's blog post:

http://davegoodell.blogspot.com/2009/04/multiple-remote-branches-in-git-svn.html

My company's svn server layout is a bit of a mess and to work around that I've been using multiple "fetch" lines in git-svn's config:

[svn-remote "svn"]
url = https://...

# The trunk
fetch = foo/trunk/Product:refs/remotes/trunk

# Some individual branches from messy directories that I can't use globs on fetch = foo/branches/Developers/Nathan/Project/Product:refs/remotes/product-orig fetch = foo/branches/august-demo/Product:refs/remotes/august-demo

# A well-organized branches folder that I can use a glob for branches = foo/branches/Product/*:refs/remotes/branches/*

# etc...

Tower doesn't currently support such configurations and I'd like to convince them that this is a perfectly sensible thing to do.

Thanks,
-Nathan

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Hi Nathan,

It's true that the documentation is not as clear about this as one might like. Documentation/git-svn.txt leaves it to the reader to infer that this is supported by analogy with "fetch =" lines in native git [remote] sections:

'git svn' stores [svn-remote] configuration information in the repository .git/config file. It is similar the core git [remote] sections except 'fetch' keys do not accept glob arguments; but they are instead handled by the 'branches' and 'tags' keys.

The change description for the patch that introduced that functionality is more helpful.

	$ git log -S'Could not find a \"svn-remote.*.fetch\" key' git-svn.perl
	commit 706587fc
	Author: Eric Wong <[email protected]>
	Date:   Thu Jan 18 17:50:01 2007 -0800

git-svn: add support for metadata in .git/config

Of course, we handle metadata migrations from previous versions and we have added unit tests.

The new .git/config remotes resemble non-SVN remotes. Below is an example with comments:
[example using multiple 'fetch' keys snipped]

Perhaps such an example would be useful for the git-svn(1) manpage, too. Any ideas for where to add such a note, and how it should be worded? (Of course, if you can phrase such an idea in patch form, that would be the most convenient.)

Hope that helps,
Jonathan

Hi,

Thanks Jonathan, that's just what I suspected.

[snip]

The existing CONFIGURATION section of the man page seems like a sensible place to mention multiple fetch entries. I've also found the documentation on creating branches in the presence of multiple branch keys to be confusing and in need of an example, so maybe that could go in as well. How about something along these lines:

"""
In order to simplify working with messy subversion repositories you can configure multiple fetch, branches, and tags keys. For example:

[svn-remote "messy-repo"]
url = http://server.org/svn
fetch = trunk/project-a:refs/remotes/project-a/trunk
fetch = branches/demos/june-project-a-demo:refs/remotes/project-a/demos/june-demo branches = branches/server/*:refs/remotes/project-a/branches/* branches = branches/demos/2011/*:refs/remotes/project-a/2011-demos/* tags = tags/server/*:refs/remotes/project-a/tags/*

To create a branch in this configuration you need to specify the location for the new branch using the -d or --destination flag. For example:

git svn branch -d wtf-goes-here-anyway?? release-2-3-0 """

The thing about the -d option that confuses me is that I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be supplying a full svn path, a partial svn path, the glob from the config file, etc. An example would make it obvious. Personally, I always take the coward's way out and comment out the extra branches keys, make the branch without -d, then restore them in order to avoid any potential problems. :^)

Thanks,
-Nathan

HexaLex: A New Angle on Crossword Games for iPhone and iPod Touch
http://hexalex.com
On The App Store: http://bit.ly/8Mj1CU
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Sounds sensible. Here's a patch series along those lines to get things started. Please feel free to try them (use "make -C Documentation git-svn.1" to test), tweak to taste, and resend when ready for Eric to pick up.

Thanks,

Jonathan Nieder (1):
git-svn: clarify explanation of --destination argument

Nathan Gray (1):
git-svn: multiple fetch/branches/tags keys are supported

 Documentation/git-svn.txt |   31 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
 1 files changed, 26 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

From: Nathan Gray <[email protected]>

"git svn" can be configured to use multiple fetch, branches, and tags refspecs by passing multiple --branches or --tags options at init time or editing the configuration file later, which can be handy when working with messy Subversion repositories. Add a note to the configuration section documenting how this works.

---
 Documentation/git-svn.txt |   12 ++++++++++++
 1 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)

index 34ee7850..66fd60a4 100644
@@ -923,6 +923,18 @@ comma-separated list of names within braces. For example:
 	tags = tags/{1.0,2.0}/src:refs/remotes/tags/*
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+Multiple fetch, branches, and tags keys are supported:
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+[svn-remote "messy-repo"]
+	url = http://server.org/svn
+	fetch = trunk/project-a:refs/remotes/project-a/trunk
+	fetch = branches/demos/june-project-a-demo:refs/remotes/project-a/demos/june-demo
+	branches = branches/server/*:refs/remotes/project-a/branches/*
+	branches = branches/demos/2011/*:refs/remotes/project-a/2011-demos/*
+	tags = tags/server/*:refs/remotes/project-a/tags/*
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 Note that git-svn keeps track of the highest revision in which a branch
 or tag has appeared. If the subset of branches or tags is changed after
 fetching, then .git/svn/.metadata must be manually edited to remove (or

1.7.8

Looks good! These doc changes will help a lot.

Thanks,
-Nathan

HexaLex: A New Angle on Crossword Games for iPhone and iPod Touch
http://hexalex.com
On The App Store: http://bit.ly/8Mj1CU
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On Twitter: http://twitter.com/hexalexgame
http://n8gray.org

The existing documentation for "-d" does not make it obvious whether its argument is supposed to be a full svn path, a partial svn path, the glob from the config file, or what. Clarify the text and add an example to get the reader started.

---
 Documentation/git-svn.txt |   19 ++++++++++++++-----
 1 files changed, 14 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

index 66fd60a4..a343c261 100644
@@ -254,13 +254,15 @@ first have already been pushed into SVN.
 	Create a tag by using the tags_subdir instead of the branches_subdir
 	specified during git svn init.
 
--d;;
---destination;;
+-d<path>;;
+--destination=<path>;;
+
 	If more than one --branches (or --tags) option was given to the 'init'
 	or 'clone' command, you must provide the location of the branch (or
-	tag) you wish to create in the SVN repository.  The value of this
-	option must match one of the paths specified by a --branches (or
-	--tags) option.  You can see these paths with the commands
+	tag) you wish to create in the SVN repository.  <path> specifies which
+	path to use to create the branch or tag and should match the pattern
+	on the left-hand side of one of the configured branches or tags
+	refspecs.  You can see these refspecs with the commands
 +
 	git config --get-all svn-remote.<name>.branches
 	git config --get-all svn-remote.<name>.tags

@@ -935,6 +937,13 @@ Multiple fetch, branches, and tags keys are supported:
 	tags = tags/server/*:refs/remotes/project-a/tags/*
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+Creating a branch in such a configuration requires disambiguating which
+location to use using the -d or --destination flag:
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$ git svn branch -d branches/server release-2-3-0
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 Note that git-svn keeps track of the highest revision in which a branch
 or tag has appeared. If the subset of branches or tags is changed after
 fetching, then .git/svn/.metadata must be manually edited to remove (or

1.7.8

Hi Eric,

I last sent these patches as an RFC a year and a half or so ago[1]. Nathan seemed to like them and they still seem valid, so thought I'd resubmit. :)

Thoughts of all kinds welcome, as always.

Jonathan Nieder (1):
git-svn: clarify explanation of --destination argument

Nathan Gray (1):
git-svn: multiple fetch/branches/tags keys are supported

 Documentation/git-svn.txt | 31 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
 1 file changed, 26 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

[1] http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/187312/focus=187489

From: Nathan Gray <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:23:50 -0600

"git svn" can be configured to use multiple fetch, branches, and tags refspecs by passing multiple --branches or --tags options at init time or editing the configuration file later, which can be handy when working with messy Subversion repositories. Add a note to the configuration section documenting how this works.

---
As before.

 Documentation/git-svn.txt | 12 ++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 12 insertions(+)

index 58b6d54..6c0988e 100644
@@ -1032,6 +1032,18 @@ comma-separated list of names within braces. For example:
 	tags = tags/{1.0,2.0}/src:refs/remotes/tags/*
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+Multiple fetch, branches, and tags keys are supported:
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+[svn-remote "messy-repo"]
+	url = http://server.org/svn
+	fetch = trunk/project-a:refs/remotes/project-a/trunk
+	fetch = branches/demos/june-project-a-demo:refs/remotes/project-a/demos/june-demo
+	branches = branches/server/*:refs/remotes/project-a/branches/*
+	branches = branches/demos/2011/*:refs/remotes/project-a/2011-demos/*
+	tags = tags/server/*:refs/remotes/project-a/tags/*
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 Note that git-svn keeps track of the highest revision in which a branch
 or tag has appeared. If the subset of branches or tags is changed after
 fetching, then .git/svn/.metadata must be manually edited to remove (or

1.8.3.rc1

Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:24:30 -0600

The existing documentation for "-d" does not make it obvious whether its argument is supposed to be a full svn path, a partial svn path, the glob from the config file, or what. Clarify the text and add an example to get the reader started.

---
Thanks for reading.

 Documentation/git-svn.txt | 19 ++++++++++++++-----
 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

index 6c0988e..68c706d 100644
@@ -271,13 +271,15 @@ first have already been pushed into SVN.
 	Create a tag by using the tags_subdir instead of the branches_subdir
 	specified during git svn init.
 
--d;;
---destination;;
+-d<path>;;
+--destination=<path>;;
+
 	If more than one --branches (or --tags) option was given to the 'init'
 	or 'clone' command, you must provide the location of the branch (or
-	tag) you wish to create in the SVN repository.  The value of this
-	option must match one of the paths specified by a --branches (or
-	--tags) option.  You can see these paths with the commands
+	tag) you wish to create in the SVN repository.  <path> specifies which
+	path to use to create the branch or tag and should match the pattern
+	on the left-hand side of one of the configured branches or tags
+	refspecs.  You can see these refspecs with the commands
 +
 	git config --get-all svn-remote.<name>.branches
 	git config --get-all svn-remote.<name>.tags

@@ -1044,6 +1046,13 @@ Multiple fetch, branches, and tags keys are supported:
 	tags = tags/server/*:refs/remotes/project-a/tags/*
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+Creating a branch in such a configuration requires disambiguating which
+location to use using the -d or --destination flag:
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$ git svn branch -d branches/server release-2-3-0
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 Note that git-svn keeps track of the highest revision in which a branch
 or tag has appeared. If the subset of branches or tags is changed after
 fetching, then .git/svn/.metadata must be manually edited to remove (or

1.8.3.rc1

Thanks, both applied. Sorry for forgetting :x