The Ten-Minute Test Drive for Windows

Introduction

This page tells you how to get a simple Perforce installation up and running in ten minutes. You'll set up the Perforce Server and the Perforce Visual Client (P4V) on a single Windows machine. You don't have to be an administrator, but you must be an experienced Windows user.

If you need more guidance setting up a demo, please visit the Technical Support page for contact options.

Installing Perforce

Go to our downloads page and download both a server executable (perforce.exe) and P4V (p4vinst.exe) for your Windows platform.

Run the server executable (perforce.exe) installer. When the dialog offers you a choice of Perforce configurations, choose Perforce Administrator Install (Typical). For the rest of the dialogs, accept the defaults and follow the prompts to completion.

Note: If you have administrator privileges, the Perforce Server is installed as a service and started automatically (by default). If you do not have administrator privileges, you'll have to start the Perforce Server manually.

Here's how to start or stop the Perforce service:

• Windows Server 2003: Choose Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Services
• XP: Choose Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Services
• 2000: Choose Control Panel>Services

Run the P4V (p4vinst.exe) installer.

Trying Perforce

You now have everything you need to use Perforce on your machine. The demo is limited to two users and five client workspaces, but all Perforce features are available to you. We'll assume you'll be using P4V, the cross-platform Perforce Visual Client. Here are some things you can try.

Getting Started

Follow these steps to get started with Perforce:

1. Choose Start>Programs>Perforce>P4V.
2. On the P4V Open Connection dialog, click the New button next to Open Workspace.
3. Name your workspace myws and click the OK button.
4. Enter c:\p4clients\myws as Root and click the Save button.
5. Back on the Open Connection dialog, click the OK button.

Now you see P4V's main screen. Notice that there are no files in the depot or workspace yet—that's what the next step is all about.

Adding new files to the Perforce depot

Here's how to add files to the depot:

1. In the Windows Explorer, create c:\p4clients\myws and put some sample files into it.
2. In P4V, click the Workspace tab (lower left) and press F5 to refresh the display.
3. Right-click the workspace folder and choose Mark for Add.
4. Click the toolbar button and see your pending changelist on the right.
5. Right-click and choose Submit.
6. Enter a description and click the Submit button.

The files you added are now in the depot.

Working on Files

The files you added are now under Perforce's control. Now you can check them out, modify them, and submit them.

1. In the left pane, right-click a file and choose Check Out.
2. Double-click the file to edit it. (To pick an editor, right-click the file and choose Open With...).
3. In P4V, right-click the file and choose Submit.
4. Enter a description and click the Submit button.
5. Right-click another file and choose Rename/Move... .
6. Pick a new name and location and submit your change.

You've done the basics—feel free to explore more P4V features.

Cleaning Up

After you're done, uninstall your Perforce demo so that you don't confuse it with any working Perforce installation you install later:

1. Exit P4V, delete your workspace folder, and, if you wish, stop the Perforce service.
2. Run the Perforce installer (perforce.exe).
3. In the Configuration Choices dialog, choose Uninstall Components.
4. Check every box in the component list and follow the installer dialogs to completion.
5. Delete your Perforce installation directory (by default, C:\Program Files\Perforce).

For More Information

The Perforce commands shown in this demo are just to get you started. For more information, consult the following sources:

• The P4V product page has more details about the GUI, as does the P4V online help.
• Take a look at other Perforce components, too.
• For the big picture, see our technical documentation.

If you have questions about Perforce or comments on this demo, please email support@perforce.com.