Performing a checkout operation takes copies of all files from the repository and places them in the target directory. It also creates a .svn directory at the top level of the file hierarchy to store files that will support the version control functionality.

By default, most operating systems do not show folders that have a period at the beginning of their name, since this usually identifies hidden files and directories. To display hidden folders on the Windows 10 platform, carry out the following steps:

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Click on the View tab and check the option labeled Hidden Items.

The .svn directory contains information on the address of the repository that is associated with the files in the current folder. It also contains an original version of each file that was checked out. These original files are used for Subversion to determine when changes have been made to each file relative to their state when they were checked out or updated. While it might seem a bit redundant to have an original copy of all the files in the .svn folders when our repository is locally hosted, this functionality allows Subversion to identify file changes when working on a remote repository, such as the official WordPress plugin server, even when your computer is not connected to the internet.