Adding Subversion Ignores from the command line

I use Subversion at work and when I'm managing files from the command prompt, I generally don't enjoy having to sift through a long list of file names with question marks next to them, wondering whether these files should be checked into source control. Folders like "bin" and "obj" and user-preference files have no place in source control -- they just seem to get in the way.

If you're using TortoiseSVN, you can hide theses folder from source control simply by pulling up the context-menu for the un-versioned folder, select TortoiseSVN and "Add to ignore list". However, if you're using the command prompt, it requires a bit more effort. (Over the last few years, I've grown a well established distrust for TortiseSVN, as they shell-overlays can cripple even the fastest machines. I really wish the TortiseSVN guys would release their merge tool as a separate download, if you know a good diff tool, let me know.)

Because the svn:ignore property is stored as a new line delimited list, you need to pipe the results into a text file and edit them in the tool of your choice. When updating the property, I use the -F argument to specify a file instead of supplying the value in the command line.

1. Get a list of the current ignores and pipe it into a text file:

   svn propget svn:ignore . > .ignore

2. Edit the list in your editor:

   notepad .ignore

3. Put the property back in:

   svn propset svn:ignore -F.ignore .

4. Verify that your ignores work:

   svn st

5. Commit your changes into the repository:

   svn ci . -m"Updating ignores"