SVN: Cannot set svn ignore on a single file

Question

I have some folders with .swf files. When I change into the folder and type:

svn --username myusername propset svn:ignore *.swf

I get the message:

svn: Cannot set 'svn:ignore' on a file ('Floating.swf')

I have several .swfs in that folder...how do I not upload them?

Answer 1

Look like your shell is globbing the pattern before it gets to svn (in other words, the actual command that runs is svn --username myusername propset svn:ignore Floating.swf Sunk.swf etc Try enclosing the pattern in single quotes to prevent your shell from doing this. Also, you need to apply this property to a directory, it sounds like you want the current one, so . should work:

svn --username myusername propset svn:ignore '*.swf' .

Answer 2

Set the property on the directory containing the files, not the individual files themselves.

http://svnbook.red-bean.com/en/1.1/ch07s02.html#svn-ch-7-sect-2.3.3

The property is set on the directory in which you wish the patterns to be applied.

If you want to ignore .swf files in general rather than per-directory, you should consider a global ignore in the config file:

http://svnbook.red-bean.com/en/1.1/ch07.html#svn-ch-7-sect-1.3.2

global-ignores