Before we get stuck into working with some real files, it is important
to get an overview of how subversion works and the terms that are used.
The Repository
Subversion uses a central database which contains all your
version-controlled files with their complete history. This
database is referred to as the repository.
The repository normally lives on a file server running the
Subversion server program, which supplies content to Subversion
clients (like TortoiseSVN) on request.
If you only back up one thing, back up your repository as it is
the definitive master copy of all your data.
Working Copy
This is where you do the real work. Every developer has his
own working copy, sometimes known as a sandbox, on his local
PC. You can pull down the latest version from the repository,
work on it locally without affecting anyone else, then when
you are happy with the changes you made commit them back to
the repository.
A Subversion working copy does not contain the history of
the project, but it does keep a copy of the files as they
exist in the repository before you started making changes.
This means that it is easy to check exactly what changes
you have made.
You also need to know where to find TortoiseSVN because there is not
much to see from the Start Menu. This is because TortoiseSVN is a
Shell extension, so first of all, start Windows Explorer. Right click
on a folder in Explorer and you should see some new entries in the
context menu like this:
Figure 1.1. The TortoiseSVN menu for unversioned folders
Load balance : Server 00
