What's New in SmartSVN 4?

Subversion 1.5 Features

SmartSVN supports Subversion 1.5 working copies and corresponding features. This includes, but is not limited to, merge tracking and sparse directories.

With SmartSVN 4 merge tracking has been introduced. This allows to track what revisions of what branches already have been merged simplifying the merge process significantly. Besides merge tracking, SmartSVN also allows to preview merge results before the working copy is actually changed ("dry merge").

When selecting the revisions or revision ranges to merge, you get visual aid for the revisions not yet merged:

With the support for sparse directories you don't have to check out the full project from the repository, but may only pick those files and directories you really need for your task.

The support for relative URLs in the external definitions makes them more flexible resp. portable. Additional peg revisions are helpful to specify paths at a different revision than the externals revision itself.

Shell Integration (Windows: Explorer, Mac OS X: Finder)

SmartSVN 4 now provides a Windows Explorer integration (32-bit Windows) including all major commands which can directly be performed from within your favourite file manager. SVN file states are shown as well.

Quite similar to the Explorer integration, SmartSVN 4 also provides a Finder integration.

Standalone Transactions

SmartSVN always had a project-dependend Transactions view showing the last commits to the project repository. Starting with SmartSVN 4 there also exists a standalone, project-independent Transaction window which keeps you up-to-date on commits to arbitrary repositories. This makes it extremely convenient to stay informed on changes in libraries which your projects are using or all SVN activities within your team or the whole company.

Once configured, the watched repositories are refreshed regularily in background. You will get a notification about new transactions in the tray icon (Windows, Linux) or in the application dock icon (Mac OS X):

Issue-Tracker support (Bugtraq-Properties)

You can now configure "bugtraq" properties, the Subversion quasi-standard for issue tracker integration, comfortable:

For commit messages in your project, SmartSVN converts issue numbers to links to your issue tracker:

Optionally, you can configure the bugtraq-properties to show an input field in the commit wizard where the user has to enter the issue number involved in the transaction:

Spell-checker for commit messages

SmartSVN can now use Open Office dictionaries to spell-check your commit messages. You can register dictionaries for different languages - SmartSVN automatically can detect and use the best matching language, so you never have to switch manually:

Commit to Nested Externals

When committing, SmartSVN now optionally allows to commit changes to nested externals, too, giving you the choice between one commit message for all affected repositories or providing individual commit messages.

Tray Icon and non-blocking dialogs

On Windows and Linux with Java 6 installed, SmartSVN can start in background showing just a tray icon. Double click the tray icon to open a second project window. Dialogs are now only blocking their parent windows (not the whole application, except for the Preferences), so you can fill a dialog in one project while continue working in another one.

Basic SVN-Server Setup

For creating a local repository and getting the SVN-server up and running within one minute, SmartSVN now has a built-in wizard:

Add Tag/Branch: Fix External Revisions

You are using externals without fixed revision in your project and got frustrated, that switching to older revisions (or tags) broke the build, because still the latest external was used instead of the one at that revision? Then SmartSVN can help you by fixing the revision of external definitions when creating a tag or branch. With this option set you can freeze the project state even for externals exactly for switching back later.

Tag and Branch Layouts

In contrast to other Subversion clients, SmartSVN supports tags and branches as they would be a standard Subversion feature. This requires you to define where your project trunk, the tags and branches are located in the repository ("tag and branch layout"). SmartSVN 4 now allows you to define the tag and branch layout even more flexible than before by allowing multiple paths and wildcard definitions.

Once tag and branch layouts are configured, the standalone and embedded Repository Browsers shows the layout structure:

Drag and Drop support

Copy and move files and directories in your project or in the Repository Browser using drag and drop.

Drag and Drop support has also been added to other parts of SmartSVN, like the Project Manager.