When preparing for version control or DevOps roles, understanding Subversion SVN interview questions is crucial. SVN (Apache Subversion) remains widely used in corporate environments that prefer a centralized version control system.
In this blog, we will cover essential SVN basics, comparison with Git, and expert-level questions to help you crack interviews easily.
What is Subversion (SVN)?
Apache Subversion, often abbreviated as SVN, is an open-source version control system that manages files and directories over time. It tracks changes, enables collaboration, and allows you to recover earlier versions of your project.
People Also Ask:
Q1. What is the difference between SVN and Subversion?
➔ There is no difference. SVN is the abbreviation of Subversion. They refer to the same version control system.
Q2. What is the difference between SVN and Git?
➔ SVN is centralized, whereas Git is distributed. In SVN, the repository resides on a central server; in Git, each developer has a complete copy of the repository.
Q3. What is SVN used for?
➔ SVN is used for maintaining current and historical versions of files such as source code, web pages, and documentation.
Q4. Is SVN centralized or distributed?
➔ SVN is a centralized version control system (CVCS).
30+ Important Subversion SVN Interview Questions and Answers
1. What is Subversion (SVN)?
Answer:
Subversion is a centralized version control system that keeps track of file changes and allows multiple users to collaborate.
2. Why do companies still use SVN?
Answer:
Many enterprises stick with SVN because of its simplicity, strong permission management, and mature tooling for centralized workflows.
3. What are the main features of SVN?
Answer:
- Version tracking
- Atomic commits
- Directory versioning
- Branching and tagging
- Authentication and authorization
4. What is a working copy in SVN?
Answer:
It is the local copy of files checked out from the central repository.
5. What is a repository in SVN?
Answer:
A repository is a database where all versions of files and directories are stored.
6. What is committing in SVN?
Answer:
Committing refers to sending changes from your working copy back to the repository.
7. What is an SVN checkout?
Answer:
It is the process of creating a working copy from a repository.
8. Explain the SVN update.
Answer:
SVN update synchronizes your working copy with the latest repository changes.
9. What is a conflict in SVN?
Answer:
A conflict occurs when changes made locally differ from changes in the repository.
10. How do you resolve conflicts in SVN?
Answer:
- Update working copy
- Review conflicts
- Merge changes manually or using a tool
- Mark the conflict as resolved
11. What is branching in SVN?
Answer:
Branching allows developers to diverge from the main line to work independently.
12. What is tagging in SVN?
Answer:
Tagging creates a snapshot of a project at a certain point in time.
13. How is branching different from tagging?
Answer:
Branches are for development; tags are for release versions.
14. How do you create a branch in SVN?
Answer:
Use svn copy command or repository browser to create a branch.
15. How do you revert a commit in SVN?
Answer:
Use svn merge -c -REVISION_NUMBER or svn revert.
16. What is svnadmin?
Answer:
It is a command-line tool used for repository administration.
17. What are hooks in SVN?
Answer:
Hooks are scripts triggered by repository events like commits or updates.
18. What is the default protocol SVN uses?
Answer:
HTTP/HTTPS via Apache server.
19. Can you list a few SVN commands?
Answer:
svn checkoutsvn updatesvn commitsvn revertsvn logsvn diff
20. What is the SVN switch command?
Answer:
It changes your working copy to a different branch/tag without a fresh checkout.
21. What is the significance of .svn directories?
Answer:
They store metadata about the working copy.
22. What is a shallow checkout in SVN?
Answer:
It limits the depth of directory fetching to save bandwidth and time.
23. What is SVN blame?
Answer:
Shows who changed each line of a file and when.
24. What is atomic commit?
Answer:
An operation where either all changes succeed or none do.
25. How is security managed in SVN?
Answer:
Through authentication, authorization, and access control via Apache or svnserve.
26. What is the difference between svn export and svn checkout?
Answer:
- Export gets a clean copy (no metadata).
- Checkout gets a working copy (with
.svnfolders).
27. Explain svn merge.
Answer:
Combines changes from one branch into another.
28. How does SVN handle binary files?
Answer:
SVN stores binary files as-is without trying to merge them.
29. What is svn status?
Answer:
It displays the status of your working copy files compared to the repository.
30. What is the role of Apache in SVN?
Answer:
Apache enables access to SVN repositories over HTTP/HTTPS protocols.
31. What is Subversion Edge?
Answer:
A web-based management interface for SVN repositories and servers.
32. Can SVN work offline?
Answer:
You can work locally, but committing requires server access.
33. What is the advantage of centralized over distributed version control?
Answer:
Centralized systems are easier to manage for small teams with strict access control.
34. What is the command to view logs in SVN?
Answer:svn log
35. What database does SVN use internally?
Answer:
Subversion typically uses FSFS or Berkeley DB for data storage.
Conclusion
Mastering Subversion SVN interview questions prepares you not only for version control discussions but also showcases your understanding of collaborative software development practices.
Whether you’re transitioning from SVN to Git or maintaining legacy systems, these insights will help you confidently tackle your next technical interview.