Does creating SVN project folders ("branches", "tags" and "trunk") on SVN server side provide any extra functionality?

Question

Visual SVN Server allows you to create SVN repositories and SVN projects. Those who strictly have client SVN access (using Tortoise for example) cannot create projects. However, they do have the ability to create folders as they wish. When an SVN project is created on the server side, you have the ability to automatically generate the tags, branches and trunk folders for a given SVN project. On the other hand, you could manually create a project folder, and those three identical sub folders from Tortoise SVN. Is there anything different between the two architecturally on the server side? Does creating on the server side give any extra functionality (for example)? I just want to avoid maintenance on the server side for our administrator if it does not.

EDIT:

I'm sorry, they use the term "New > Project Structure..."

Answer 1

No, there's no difference. A folder is a folder. Whether you create it when the repo is created or later doesn't change anything. But I would create them directly, since you will need them.

Answer 2

Short answer : No. The /trunk, /tags and /branches directories are just regular Subversion folders.

Answer 3

1. There is no such object, as "SVN project" in Apache Subversion (and VisualSVN Server): there are only
   • Repositories
   • Folders in repositories
2. trunk/tags/branches in a root of repo is conventional layout, and only one from a set, read Recommended Repository Layout and Repository Layout for additional detail.

Is there anything different between the two architecturally on the server side?

No. They are identical in history (one commit with new folders in repo), VisualSVN Server's commit just have another committer name and does not trigger hook scripts.