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A nice online manual of SVN usage and theory is located here.
SVN is a version control system that enables groups of developers to code on the same software project and or files with little to no worries in terms of conflict of code. More importantly, it allows the branching and tagging of projects. Finally it provides a central repositry whereby developers can quickly and easily obtain the latest (or not so latest) versions of project code.
SVN Command Primer
SVN works similarly to CVS. In as much as many of the commands are the same.
The basic concept is that the SVN Repositry holds all of the versions of the different code that all developers use.
Users/developers have to work on 'checked out' copies of the code from this central repository. Developers should ONLY make changes to this 'checked out' version; when they have tested and are happy with their changes, only then should they 'commit' their changes back into the repositoty for other developers.
Other developers must issue an 'update' command in order to get the changes from other developers (once they have committed them)
SVN Checkout
In order to work on SVN projects, it is necessary to 'checkout' the project files. Given a project, you are expected to work on edits on a local copy from which editing and testing is to occur before the changes are 'checked in' back into the SVN repository.
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