I wrote a test unit to confirm that this is still an issue:
https://gist.github.com/christ66/1279fbb8aff7f6369d3e

I created https://github.com/jenkinsci/subversion-plugin/pull/89 to resolve this issue.

Code changed in jenkins
User: christ66
Path:
src/test/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCMTest.java
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/subversion-plugin/611dedc5beeaee8dd4f066c13892ad46f5d2b8ee
Log:
JENKINS-22568 Added test unit to show that default parameter values do not get expanded for polling.

Code changed in jenkins
User: christ66
Path:
src/main/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCM.java
src/test/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCMTest.java
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/subversion-plugin/a6292d4b8d222e3fcb9d4914f4320523374e4472
Log:
[FIXED JENKINS-22568] Subversion polling does not work with parameters.

Code changed in jenkins
User: christ66
Path:
src/main/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCM.java
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/subversion-plugin/9affb650b0fcd68d213e1c064adb5f453205b6aa
Log:
[FIXED JENKINS-22568] Backwards compatible fix.

Code changed in jenkins
User: Stephen Connolly
Path:
src/main/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCM.java
src/test/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCMTest.java
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/subversion-plugin/396837b69f1e9b240196609acabebf9f1ec2f225
Log:
Merge pull request #89 from christ66/JENKINS-22568

[FIXED JENKINS-22568] Subversion polling does not work with parameters.

Compare: https://github.com/jenkinsci/subversion-plugin/compare/7fecc427c206...396837b69f1e

Code changed in jenkins
User: christ66
Path:
src/test/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCMTest.java
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/subversion-plugin/7d8a61febbb9b83e536a168e4f3e08013b747445
Log:
JENKINS-22568 Added test unit to show that default parameter values do not get expanded for polling.

(cherry picked from commit 611dedc5beeaee8dd4f066c13892ad46f5d2b8ee)

Conflicts:
src/test/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCMTest.java

Code changed in jenkins
User: christ66
Path:
src/main/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCM.java
src/test/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCMTest.java
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/subversion-plugin/c6b1bacd211ad91def256fb5299b25e07e0616fc
Log:
[FIXED JENKINS-22568] Subversion polling does not work with parameters.

(cherry picked from commit a6292d4b8d222e3fcb9d4914f4320523374e4472)

Conflicts:
src/main/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCM.java
(Original patch used ParameterValue.getValue, which is 1.568+. Switched to StringParameterValue.value.)

Code changed in jenkins
User: christ66
Path:
src/main/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCM.java
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/subversion-plugin/c2f5764ac073916dd0f9a9ec64b4d6c3106af219
Log:
[FIXED JENKINS-22568] Backwards compatible fix.

(cherry picked from commit 9affb650b0fcd68d213e1c064adb5f453205b6aa)

Conflicts:
src/main/java/hudson/scm/SubversionSCM.java
(Switching to the master version of ParameterValue logic, throwing out merge resolution from prior commit.)

Compare: https://github.com/jenkinsci/subversion-plugin/compare/07d6177a0914^...c2f5764ac073

As requested re-opening this issue.

I defined a variable in the Environment Inject plugin (https://wiki.jenkins-ci.org/display/JENKINS/EnvInject+Plugin)

VAR=https://PRETEND_URL.com

In the SCM 'Repository URL' box I have tried using ${VAR} and $VAR but neither works:

ERROR: Failed to check repository revision for $VAR
org.tmatesoft.svn.core.SVNException: svn: E125002: Malformed URL '$VAR'

However if I use this '$VAR' I get some success but then it rejects the "'":

ERROR: Failed to check repository revision for 'https://PRETEND_URL.com'
org.tmatesoft.svn.core.SVNException: svn: E125002: URL protocol is not supported ''https://PRETEND_URL.com''

(Please note I did try it with a genuine URL but have altered it for security here)

So it looks like it needs to be surrounded in single quotes to resolve but then the URL is not well formed...

demonick The fix for this issue was specifically for parameterized builds, and not the envinject plugin.

possible fixed with JENKINS-23007

Env-Inject adds variables to the build environment. These are unavailable during polling. So it's no surprise if that doesn't work. Workarounds are to reuse previous build's environment or something like that, which can have insane side effects.

@Daniel: very good hint to understand the problem.

The behaviour is also documented with the Env-Inject plugin. As a workaround I use now the URL-Trigger included with XTrigger plugin (option Check the last modification Date). XTrigger reuses previous builds environment with the described side effects and I can live with that.
With version 1.5.4 of the subversion plugin I also had the desired behaviour but now I have to use the newest subversion plugin version to use svn 1.8 working copies.

What about introducing a checkbox "reuse previous environment for polling" with the subversion plugin?

Also does not work in Subversion plugin 2.5 when defining the variables in global properties. This is already linked to JENKINS-22922 which spells that out.

possible workaround:

• define global variable (for example: SVN_REPO)
• in job use "a text parameter" and set default to global variable, variable name must be different to global variable (for example SVN_REPO2)
• in svn url use the variable from "text parameter" (SVN_REPO2)

doesn't work

I figured that would be the case. The problem appears to be that the plug in does not expand variables, and I doubted it mattered where they originated.

Confirmed. Updated to 2.5.2 and confirmed that polling with a variable URL works.

tpbradt Thanks so much for your feedback. It is very important to receive feedback when a bug is solved.

Unfortunatly this still does not work for me.

From the Subverion Polling Log:

Started on 20.10.2015 15:14:00
Location 'http://subversion/svn/repos/${branch}/plugins/at.myplugin' does not exist
One or more repository locations do not exist anymore for hudson.model.FreeStyleProject@78dd0b8f[MyProject], project will be disabled.
The project has been disabled
Done. Took 0,1 sec
No changes

branch is defined as evironment variable in the jenkins configuration.
Subversion Plug-in 2.5.3
Jenkins 1.634 and 1.625.1

It works with Jenkins 1.580.3 and Subversion 2.4.5

chris_mh3 Please provide more details, where/how specifically is the branch variable defined?

@chris_mh3,

I received feedback from several users confirming that this bug is solved. I prefer to close this issue and open new one with new information.

Regards,

the branch variable is defined in Manage Jenkins -> Configure System -> Global properties -> Environment variables

chris_mh3 Could you add a new ticket, please?

JENKINS-31067

chris_mh3, Thank you.