Configuring Subversion properties for integration with a web interface

Applies to: VisualSVN 8.4 and later

This article provides instructions on how to set the so-called webviewer (or web interface) Subversion properties, which allow Subversion clients to provide additional commands and features related to viewing the repository in the web interface.

In particular, when the webviewer properties are set in the repository, it becomes possible to use the Open in Web Interface command in the VisualSVN plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio. For details about this feature and other uses of these properties, see Features relying on webviewer properties.

Typically, the webviewer properties should be set by the administrator of the repository server or by a user who has similar extensive Write permissions to this repository's folders.

Why are webviewer properties required?

Webviewer properties are used to specify the URLs at which users can access the repository's web interface in a web browser. The URLs of the web interface for viewing the repository in a web browser may differ from the URLs used to access the repository from a dedicated Subversion client (e.g. when checking out files on the command line). The URLs of the repository's web interface may also be different, depending on the particular Subversion server or repository hosting service.

For example, the URL to check out the trunk directory from a repository with the command-line Subversion client might be as follows:

Whereas for this same repository, the URL to view the trunk in the repository's web interface in a web browser might look as follows (in this example, for VisualSVN Server):

Features relying on webviewer properties

The following features become available for the repository only when the repository has the webviewer properties set in it.

Additional command in the VisualSVN plugin

Available since VisualSVN 8.4

When the webviewer:pathrevision property is set, it is possible to use the Open in Web Interface command in the VisualSVN plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio. In Visual Studio, using this command in a working copy is the quick way to open the corresponding repository in a web browser. If the webviewer:pathrevline property is set as well, you can also right-click a line in a file and select VisualSVN | Open in Web Interface to go directly to this line in the repository's web interface.

Additional commands in TortoiseSVN

When the webviewer:pathrevision and webviewer:revision properties are defined, the following two additional commands will become available in the right-click context menu in the Repo-browser window and in the Show log window of TortoiseSVN:

• View revision for path in webviewer command (opens the link from webviewer:pathrevision in a web browser for the currently selected path and revision)
• View revision in webviewer command (opens the link from webviewer:revision in a web browser for the currently selected revision)

Link to the commit in email commit notifications

If you use VisualSVN Server as your Subversion server and the webviewer:revision property is defined in the repository, it is used by the VisualSVNServerHooks.exe commit-notification hook. Inside the commit notification email, the hook will add a web link (URL) for viewing the details of the respective commit in a web browser.

On which directory should you set webviewer properties?

The webviewer properties should be set as directory (folder) properties inside the repository. Like any versioned property in Subversion, a webviewer property applies to the path (directory) on which it is explicitly set, and is also inherited recursively by all the children of that path in the directory hierarchy. However, to receive the inherited property on such child paths, the user needs to have Read access to the parent path that has the explicitly set property.

Because of that, choose one of the following ways to set the webviewer properties:

• Set the webviewer properties just in one place—on the root folder of the repository—if users have Read access to this root folder.
• Or set the properties on the highest level folder that users are allowed to Read. For example, on the root folder of a particular project in the repository. Or on the project's trunk, branches and tags folders.

What value should you set in webviewer properties?

In the webviewer properties, you should specify the template of the web address (URL) at which users can view the repository in a web browser. There are the following three webviewer properties, which have slightly different purposes:

• webviewer:pathrevision should contain the URL for viewing a requested path in the repository at a requested revision. This URL should contain placeholder variables %REVISION% and %PATH%. At this URL, the web browser should display the contents of the requested directory or file as it was at the requested revision.
• webviewer:pathrevline should contain the URL that links directly to a requested line in a file, which is located at a requested repository path at a requested revision. This URL should contain placeholder variables %REVISION%, %PATH% and %LINE%. This webviewer property is optional and is currently used only by the supporting VisualSVN plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio. If this property is not set, then the webviewer:pathrevision property is used as a fallback, but without the ability to open a file directly at a specific line in the web interface.
• webviewer:revision should contain the URL for viewing a requested revision. This URL should contain only one placeholder variable: %REVISION%. Typically, the URL provided in this property should display the details about a requested commit (the committed changes and the commit message) in a web browser.

The commands that use these properties will automatically substitute the %REVISION% and %PATH% and %LINE% variables with a requested revision number (e.g. 42), requested path (relative to the root of the repository, e.g. /branches/my_feature) and the requested line number respectively.

Example for VisualSVN Server

For example, if you use VisualSVN Server as your Subversion server, then the webviewer properties should be set as follows:

Property name: webviewer:pathrevision
Property value: https://svn.example.com/!/#MyRepo/view/r%REVISION%%PATH%

Property name: webviewer:pathrevline
Property value: https://svn.example.com/!/#MyRepo/view/r%REVISION%%PATH%?line=%LINE%

Property name: webviewer:revision
Property value: https://svn.example.com/!/#MyRepo/commit/r%REVISION%

In these property values, you need to replace svn.example.com with the domain name of the computer that runs VisualSVN Server, and replace MyRepo with the name of your repository.

How to set webviewer properties with TortoiseSVN

To set the webviewer properties with the help of TortoiseSVN, perform the following steps:

1. Open the TortoiseSVN Repository Browser.
2. When prompted, enter the URL of the repository, in the standard format for accessing the repository from a dedicated Subversion client. For example: https://svn.example.com/svn/MyRepo/. Click OK.

3. In the left-hand pane of the repository browser, right-click the directory on which you want to set the property. For example, right-click the repository's root directory, displayed as the topmost node: https://svn.example.com/svn/MyRepo. From the context menu, select Show properties.

   If unsure, see the section On which directory should you set webviewer properties? above.

4. In the Properties window, click New | Other.

5. In the Property name field specify webviewer:pathrevision by selecting it from the drop-down list or by entering (pasting) it into the field.

   Tip

   Selecting the Property name from the drop-down box is generally recommended, to avoid typos in the property name.

6. Specify the Property value. For webviewer:pathrevision, the value should be the URL template for viewing a requested path at a requested revision in a web browser. For example:

   https://svn.example.com/!/#MyRepo/view/r%REVISION%%PATH%

   For more information, see the section What value should you set in webviewer properties? above. Click OK to confirm the change.

   Note

   Do not select the Apply property recursively checkbox (which would explicitly set the property on the child paths), if your version of TortoiseSVN displays it. The child paths will inherit the property even when this option is disabled.
7. When prompted, enter any commit log message. And commit this change by clicking OK again.

8. In the same way as described in steps 3-7 above, set the webviewer:pathrevline property.

   It should specify the URL template for opening a requested file at a requested line in a web browser, if your server's web interface supports links to specific lines in a file.

   Tip

   When specifying the Property name for this particular property, you need to type (or paste) its name into the field, since currently this property name is not listed in the drop-down box.

   For example, the Property value for webviewer:pathrevline might be:

   https://svn.example.com/!/#MyRepo/view/r%REVISION%%PATH%?line=%LINE%

   For more information, see the section What value should you set in webviewer properties? above.

9. In the same way as described in steps 3-7 above, set the webviewer:revision property.

   This should be the URL template for viewing a requested revision in a web browser. Typically, this is the URL template for viewing a particular commit.

   For example, the Property value for webviewer:revision might be:

   https://svn.example.com/!/#MyRepo/commit/r%REVISION%

   For more information, see the section What value should you set in webviewer properties? above.

10. Close the Repo-browser windows.
11. Once users update their working copy, they will be able to use the Open in Web Interface command in the VisualSVN plug-in in Visual Studio.