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Visual SVN Server allows you to create SVN repositories and SVN projects. Those who strictly have client SVN access (using Tortoise for example) cannot create projects. However, they do have the ability to create folders as they wish. When an SVN project is created on the server side, you have the ability to automatically generate the tags, branches and trunk folders for a given SVN project. On the other hand, you could manually create a project folder, and those three identical sub folders from Tortoise SVN. Is there anything different between the two architecturally on the server side? Does creating on the server side give any extra functionality (for example)? I just want to avoid maintenance on the server side for our administrator if it does not.


I'm sorry, they use the term "New > Project Structure..."

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When you say "project", do you really mean "repository"? The term "project" has no real significance in Subversion - a project can span multiple repositories, or multiple projects can be hosted in one repository, depending upon how you choose to define a project. –  alroc Feb 25 '13 at 21:44
Visual SVN might be misrepresenting the types of "things" SVN contains. I just see "Create SVN Repository" and "Create SVN Project". That's just what I'm seeing in the user interface. You can probably answer this better than I can. In the past, I've only used Tortoise. This is the first time I've used an SVN server, so I'm a SVN server noob/newbie. –  MacGyver Feb 25 '13 at 23:41
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3 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted

No, there's no difference. A folder is a folder. Whether you create it when the repo is created or later doesn't change anything. But I would create them directly, since you will need them.

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I agree, create them regardless. Also while a folder is a folder, TortoiseSVN (mentioned in the OP) will generate helpful warnings should the tags/trunk/branches names be detected in the path names. For instance "warning you are commiting to a tag"... –  Josh Feb 26 '13 at 1:04
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  1. There is no such object, as "SVN project" in Apache Subversion (and VisualSVN Server): there are only
    • Repositories
    • Folders in repositories
  2. trunk/tags/branches in a root of repo is conventional layout, and only one from a set, read Recommended Repository Layout and Repository Layout for additional detail.


No. They are identical in history (one commit with new folders in repo), VisualSVN Server's commit just have another committer name and does not trigger hook scripts.

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I guess it uses the term "Project Structure" .. and that's when it creates the 3 sub folders. But you can also generate those 3 subfolders within a repository. It allows both. –  MacGyver Feb 25 '13 at 23:54
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Short answer : No. The /trunk, /tags and /branches directories are just regular Subversion folders.

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