Agent SVN

Using Visual Studio 2008 with Subversion

The Agent SVN plug-in allows you to seamlessly integrate Visual Studio with Subversion.

Features of the plug-in include:

Easy to install, easy to configure, easy to use
Add solutions, projects and files to Subversion, all from within the IDE
Check out, check in, get latest version all without leaving the IDE
Revert file changes from within the IDE
Provides the option of automatic file locking on check out and unlocking on check in
View file differences, file status and file history from within the IDE
The power of Subversion with the feel of Visual Source Safe
Can use an external difference tool to view file differences

Videos

Below is a video showing Visual Studio, Agent SVN and Subversion in action:

Using Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and Subversion with Agent SVN

Tutorial

Described below are the step required to get Agent SVN to work seamlessly with Visual Studio 2008 and Subversion.

As an introductory tutorial, it is recommended you follow these steps as described.

Step 1: Agent SVN Provider Setup

Inside Visual Studio use the Tools, Options menu and in the Source Control section select Agent SVN as the active provider.

vc_options_1

In the Environment section, configure the behaviour to suit.

vc_options_2

Step 2: Configure Agent SVN

Use the File, Source Control, Launch Agent SVN menu to start the Agent SVN configuration utility to do the once off configuration of the plug-in.

vc_launch

For this initial testing use the Folder entry field to define the location of a local Subversion repository and select the Local File protocol as shown below:

agent-svn-setup

NOTE: It is highly recommended you start with this minimal configuration since this is by far the simplest Subversion configuration model.

This will give you an opportunity to become familiar with how the plug-in works and at a later point it will be easy to reconfigure Agent SVN to another repository location using a different protocol.

Step 3: Create a Test Solution

To see how Agent SVN works we need something to play with so the next step is to create a simple test solution.

From within the Visual Studio IDE create a simple solution as shown below:

vc_create

Step 4: Add Solution to Source Control

At this point, we have a new solution and we will use Agent SVN to import the solution into the Subversion repository (as was defined in step 2).

Because the local file protocol was selected you can be sure that this step will not be making any changes to your official Subversion repository.

NOTE: Agent SVN can also handle the case where the project already exists, but in that case, the project will need to be bound to the Subversion repository.

Use the menu shown below to import the solution:

vc_add

The IDE will indicate that the files have been added as shown below:

vc_files_added

Use the repository browser to confirm the solution files are now inside the source control repository as shown below:

vc_repo

Step 5: Check in the Solution

To complete the process check in all the files as shown below:

vc_checkin

Step 6: Using the Source Control Inside Visual Studio

At this stage, the solution has been imported into the repository and the solution has been bound to the repository.

To access the source control from inside Visual Studio use the popup menu as shown below:

vc_use

To check the solution bindings use the Show History menu on any of the files in the solution and the history dialog should be displayed as shown below:

vs_history

With the solution now fully configured, use the check out, check in, revert, compare or any of the other source control commands to manage the files in the solution.