title: How to replace directories in working copy without destroying svn metadata
body: <p>If I have an svn working copy and I'd like to update the working copy with a new version of those files, I simply copy the new files on top of the old files and there's no problem. Svn recognizes the differences between the files. (I'm using svn 1.6)</p>
  
  <p>However, when the files I'm copying contains a directory structure, there's a problem. For example, if the original directories in the working copy contain a top-level-directory/second-level, and I copy the new directory structure on top of it with top-level-directory/second-level, there's a problem. Copying top-level-directory onto the existing one destroys the .svn folder that was contained under top-level-directory in the working copy. Now svn complains.</p>
  
  <p>Is there a way to get this to work so that I can easily update files, either using the Linux 'cp' command, otherwise dragging files onto the existing locations in Eclipse. Otherwise I'd have to write some custom script to only copy every file, creating parent directories as needed. This seems like a pain, so I'm hoping there's an easier way. (I'd be surprised if I were the only one who has the need for such usage.)</p>