Sharing files across applications

Question

We have a common functionality we need to share among several applications. We already have a few internal libraries, into which we put common code with a well-defined interface. Sometimes, though, there are problems with some code (typically a single or a few .cpp files) as it doesn't fit into an existing library and it is too small to make a new one.

Our current version control system supports file sharing, so usually such files are just shared between the applications that use them. I tend to consider it a bad thing, but actually, it makes it quite clear, as you can see exactly in which applications they are used.

Now, we are moving to svn, which does not have "real" file sharing, there is this svn:externals stuff, but will it still be simple to track the places where the files are shared when using it?

We could create a "garbage" library (or folder) and put such files there temporarily, but it's always the same problem that it complicates dependency tracking (which project use this file?).

Otherwise, are there other good solutions? How does it work in your company?

Answer 1

Why don't you just create a folder in SVN called "Shared" and put your shared files into that? You can include the shared files into your projects from there.

Update:

Seems like you are looking for a 3rd party tool that tracks dependencies.

Subversion and dependencies

Answer 2

You can only find out where a file is used by looking at all repositories.