Getting Started with Google Code Hosting, Subversion, and TortoiseSVN without feeling like an Idiot

Posted in Programming and Software Development, Technology by engtech on March 03, 2007

the matrix is real - programming code - google code hosting - subversion - tortoisesvn I’ve been using Google’s open source project hosting to distribute my Tag Cloud Generator, but I haven’t been using the source code repository feature. They have a hard-to-find guide on getting started with the Subversion source control system, but the world needs something better. With screenshots. Plus I haven’t fed the blog recently.

You can find more information about Subversion and source control by reading a chapter of this book.

1.0 Prerequisites

Before we get started there are five things that you will need.

Google Account
- login used for all Google services like Gmail, Blogger, etc.
Software Project
- hosted by Google Code
- You’ll have to be a member of the project to add/modify files (contact the administrator)
TortoiseSVN
- Windows client for Subversion (9 MB)
- Requires a restart after installation
- It’s a shell integration and all commands are performed within Windows Explorer
GoogleCode.com Password
- Sign in to Project Hosting
- Go to Profile >> Settings
- Take note of your password
Subversion URL of project hosted at Google Code
- Sign in to Project Hosting
- Go to Project >> Source
- Will be in the format of
  
  https://<projectname>.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/

GOTCHA
If you use http instead of https you will have authentication problems and waste 15 minutes trying to find out why your password doesn’t work. You could spend those 15 minutes doing something much more useful like not getting in trouble for ignoring your girlfriend.

2.0 Adding Files to an Empty Project

Select the directory your source code is in, Right Click and choose TortoiseSVN >> Import
Use the URL of the project
- Make sure it starts with https!!!
Fill in your Google username and your Google Code password
Wait for it to finish

3.0 Connecting to an Existing Project

Select the directory you want to check out the source code to, Right Click and choose TortoiseSVN >> Checkout
Use the URL of the project
- Make sure it starts with https!!!
You will not have to enter your username/password if you are already authenticated.

4.0 Getting Started with Editing Files

Right-click on the file/directory and then

SVN Update to get the latest changes
SVN Commit to upload modified files
TortoiseSVN >> Add to add new files to the project

NOTE: Google Code Hosting doesn’t seem to support locks.

I was really surprised I couldn’t find better documentation on this from Google.

External Links

19 comments

19 Responses

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Ben Collins-Sussman said, on March 04, 2007 at 9:17 pm

Re: “I was really surprised I couldn’t find better documentation on this from Google.”… can you elaborate? What can be improved?
engtech said, on March 04, 2007 at 9:40 pm

Hi Ben,

If I’m logged in to my project, and go to source the only link I find for using Subversion is this list of Subversion clients:
http://subversion.tigris.org/links.html#clients

A direct link to a “getting started with subversion” guide would have been very useful, or at least a link to the Subversion section of the Project Hosting FAQ.

If I go to Help >> Project Hosting >> Subversion it takes me to this page:
http://code.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=10386

#1: No clear guide to get up and running with Subversion for the first time.

#2: It’s very hard to scan a FAQ when you have to open each question on it’s own page. It’s also a little bit frustrating when the answers are quite often shorter than the questions :)

#3: The answers I need to get started are
– Where do I get a copy of Subversion?
– How do I check out code as a developer?
– How do I check code into the repository?
none of which stood out as the first options in the FAQ.

#4: The only “how to get started” guide I found was on the Gadgets page, not one of the Code Hosting pages:
http://www.google.com/apis/gadgets/tools.html#Host

—

That said, it’s a great product Ben and I appreciate the hard work you’ve put into it.
Nick Hemsley said, on March 06, 2007 at 12:34 pm

the https:// thing stumped me for 15 minutes, until I found this blog post.

Stupid of me I know, but a direct link (with a ‘!! Use this for committs, dang fool!’) to the https:// subversion repository for pasting into tortoiseSvn etc. would probably have saved me. Now I am banned from sex for a whole week. dang!
engtech said, on March 06, 2007 at 6:31 pm

@Nick: You weren’t the only one. :)
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Bruce said, on March 21, 2007 at 8:37 pm

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I had been tearing my hair out for three days wondering why it wouldn’t accept my committed changes.

Am I correct that once you check out the project with http, there is no way to commit changes unless/until you re-checkout with https?
engtech said, on March 21, 2007 at 8:49 pm

I can’t remember off of the top of my head — sorry.

My problem was with checking in a file for the first time. So I had to switch to https even to get started.
inwit said, on April 04, 2007 at 5:59 pm

Oh my… i’ve spent days… my girlfriend does not want to see me anymore… :-) THANKS!!
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