<sect1 id="intro-repoconvs-layout">

    <title>The Repository Layout</title>

    <para>
        &TCAR; is supported by <ulink
        url="http://subversion.tigris.org/">Subversion</ulink>, a
        version control system which allows you to keep old versions
        of files and directories (usually source code), keep a log of
        who, when, and why changes occurred, etc., like CVS, RCS or
        SCCS.
    </para>

    <para>
        When using Subversion there is one <quote>source
        repository</quote> and many <quote>working copies</quote> of
        that source repository. The working copies are independent one
        another, can be distributed all around the world and provide a
        local place for designers, documentors, translators and
        programmers to perform their work in a descentralized way.
        The source repository, on the other hand, provides a central
        place for all independent working copies to interchange data
        and provides the information required to permit extracting
        previous versions of files at any time.
    </para>

    <para>
        The first level of directories in the repository provides
        organization through a convenctional <quote>trunk</quote>,
        <quote>branches</quote> and <quote>tags</quote> layout. In
        this configuration the <filename
        class="directory">trunk</filename> directory is where main
        changes take place, the <filename
        class="directory">tags</filename> directory is where frozen
        copies of <filename class="directory">trunk</filename> changes
        are placed in for releasing, and the <filename
        class="directory">branches</filename> directory is an
        intermediate place between <filename
        class="directory">trunk</filename> and <filename
        class="directory">tags</filename> states where changes take
        place before being merged into <filename
        class="directory">trunk</filename> and finally released into
        <filename class="directory">tags</filename>.
    </para>

    <para>
        The second level of directories in the repository provides
        organization for each work line described in <xref
        linkend="intro-repoconvs-worklines" />.
    </para>
    
    <para>
        All other subsequent levels of directories in the repository,
        from third level on, are created to organize specific concepts
        related to the work line they are in. A complete reference for
        each directory inside &TCAR; is available at <xref
        linkend="dirs" />.
    </para>
        
</sect1>