SVN vs Git
There have been situation where I have preferred to stay with SVN and not move the repository to Git. There are 3 reasons why I stay with SVN vs Git:
- SVN is simple to use
- SVN allows checkout of sub-directories
- SVN encourages me to stay away from coding while traveling
These reasons are not revealing; they are just personal preference in favor of staying with SVN.
SVN is simple to use
SVN command line and client(s) like TortoiseSVN are really easy to use. In the simplest form, svn checkout, svn update and svn commit. This is similar to Git’s git clone, git add, git commit, git push. One less command in SVN is no big deal, but it makes me perceive SVN to be simpler. TortoiseSVN is rock solid. Shell integration in Windows makes it even simpler to use. Git clients are getting better and better but I haven’t liked any, not even TortoiseGit, as much as TortoiseSVN. Again, I perceive SVN and TortoiseSVN to be simple.
SVN allows checkout of sub-directories
From a large SVN repository I have the liberty to checkout a sub-directory containing code and all its dependencies rather easily. I don’t have that liberty in Git. When I come across a large multi-discipline SVN repository, checkout of a sub-directory makes work easier.
SVN encourages me to stay away from coding while traveling
When disconnected from central repository, such as when traveling, I cannot review SVN log/history. That encourages me to not work and focus on other priorities in life.
I do prefer using Git when feasible; I explain that in my blog post about 3 reasons to switch from SVN to Git.