Excursus

Subversion is a great command line utility waiting for decent GUI. While the GUI’s supplanting the command line represents the triumph of the Image over the Word, the GUI has its place—even in text editing. With respect to subversion, there’s cognitive utility in being able to visualize the structure of your repository or working copy. While there are GUI front ends to subversion, none are perfect. While on OS X svnX works reasonably well, a compelling solution to graphically representing subversion repositories and working copies has yet to be found. The ideal hybrid app has yet to be written. (The situation is not unlike MP3 players before the iPod.) Fortunately, competition is good, and competition is emerging on the Mac platform. Versions promises a clean look and simple approach without compromising on functionality. A collaboration between João Pavão and madebysofa.com, the beta of Versions is soon ready for a private trial. You can sign up for the private beta at versionsapp.com.