svn:externals Property

The svn:externals property can be set on a folder or a file. In the first case, it stores the URL of a folder from another repository.

In the second case, it stores the URL of a file from another repository. The external file will be added into the working copy as a versioned item. There are a few differences between directory and external file:

• The path to the external file must be in a working copy that is already checked out. While external directories can place the external directory at any depth and it will create any intermediate directories, external files must be placed into a working copy that is already checked out.
• The external file URL must be in the same repository as the URL that the external file will be inserted into (inter-repository external files are not supported).
• While commits do not descend into an external directory, a commit in a directory containing an external file will commit any modifications to the external file.

The difference between a normal versioned file and an external file is that external files cannot be moved or deleted (the svn:externals property must be modified instead. However, external files can be copied).

An external file is displayed as an X in the switched status column.