Is there a viable SCC integration for Subversion?

Question

What recommendations do you have for a Subversion client that supports Microsofts standard SCC API?

So far, I've found two possibilities:

• TortoiseSVN SCC. Seems neither mature, active nor supported (no release since Jan 2005)
• SVN Plugin from PushOK. Commercial, with pricing hidden behind a login page.

Neither of these seem particularly compelling - so I figured I'd turn to StackOverflow.

What Subversion clients are there that support the SCC API, suitable for use with Sybase PowerBuilder?

Open source preferred, but commercial solutions considered - quality/reliability is more important than cost (within reason).

Background information: Subversion server running v1.6, and other work is already using both TortoiseSVN and AnkhSVN as clients.

Update: Why not use TortoiseSVN and be done with it?

Part of my problem is a peculiarity of the way that Powerbuilder works - all of the pieces of your application are stored inside a PBL ("pibble") file. Using source control at the file system level, you can only check in/out the entire application. If you want to manage things piece by piece, you have to do it from inside PowerBuilder, through an SCC based integration.

Update: What's with those PBL files?

Some more details for those who are interested.

PowerBuilder stores its code inside PowerBuilder Libraries (PBLs) and not as individual ASCII text files [this] adds a layer of complexity to integration. (http://pbdj.sys-con.com/node/42500)

Tautog

I'm curious to know the reason to support SCC API? Personnally, I'm using VisualSVN and i'm very satisfied with the product but it doesn't support SCC. – Kossuth

Just an FYI -while the "Buy Now" link on the PushOK site does inexplicably need a login before proceeding to any details, you can get the price of the PushOK SVN SCC proxy here: pushok.com/soft_get_price.php?idprogram=3 Apparently it's $27 USD. Note that I know nothing about the software itself... – Cabby

@FrancisB - VisualSVN is specific to Visual Studio; we need an integration for Powerbuilder, a different product. – Tautog

@MichaelBurr - thanks for finding the price of the PushOK product. – Tautog

Source control and PowerBuilder can be challenging. If you're willing to move away from SVN, Top Wiz has a product designed just for PowerBuilder: topwizprogramming.com/wizsource.html – Smackdab

Answer 1

AFAIK, the only two options are PushOk's plugin and PBSCC Proxy. I gave PBSCC Proxy a quick try a few months ago, and it wasn't as smooth as I was hoping (though it really was a quick try. Some people might be happy with it). I very much appreciate the guy for contributing such a tool to the community, but for the price PushOk is asking, I would go with their tool. Being commercial, it has support and a commitment to the customers. Unless you're going to use SVN for some side projects you do at home, for me that matters more than the price it costs.

Sadly, there aren't too many PB developers in StackOverflow. If you'd like a larger audience for questions like this, I think you should also ask them on the sybase.public.powerbuilder.source_control newsgroup. You'll also find a lot of questions regarding SVN/PB integration that have already been answered.

Conqueror

Thanks for the newsgroup pointer, I'll go and check things out. – Tautog

Answer 2

Agent SVN is a Subversion plug-in that implements the MS-SCCI interface and as such integrates with the PowerBuilder IDE. This link describes how this is done.

NOTE: Agent SVN is a commercial project.

J

Answer 3

There is a guide for using Subversion with Powerbuilder using PBSCC which might be of use for you.

Mccready

Answer 4

Have you checked this link?
As I can see you could use PBSCC that's SVN client for PowerBuilder.

Kurman

Answer 5

AnkhSVN - A subversion SSC provider:

It's open source.

Tartu

It doesn't implement the MS-SCCI interface. – Equipment

Answer 6

Part of the reason you are not finding more options is that there really is no need (IMO) to have that kind of interface. TortoiseSVn plugs in to the shell and is about the simplest and most lightweight source control one could imagine on Windows platform.

I personally never liked the VSS and IDE integration - Alt-tabbing is a simple task to get to the file explorer window.

Tsarevna

See my update to the question for details - integration with the PowerBuilder IDE is the only way to achieve the fine control we need. – Tautog

If it weren't for the peculiarities of PowerBuilder, this answer would be valid ... the downvote wasn't from me. – Tautog

So how do the internal pieces of power builder map to whatever is in SVN? if there is only one item on the local file system then svn uses that, or are you saying that powerbuiler would talk to the svn server directly - without the svn client? that sucks - not transparent at all – Tsarevna

You're right - the whole thing is very opaque. I found an article (pbdj.sys-con.com/node/42500) from 2002 which explains things quite well. – Tautog

That's not the worst of it. When you modify an object, PowerBuilder will sometimes re-arrange the code (changing a function prototype is one thing that causes it). This can cause blocks of code to move hundreds of lines which makes a mess of the diffs. Then there's DataWindow syntax which requires a masochistic streak to read, let alone to diff. – Gyration