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p4 client

Synopsis

Create or edit a client workspace specification and its view

Syntax

p4 [g-opts] client [-f -t template] [clientname] p4 [g-opts] client -o [-t template] [clientname] p4 [g-opts] client -d [-f] clientname p4 [g-opts] client -i [-f]

Description

A Perforce client workspace is a set of files on a user's machine that mirror a subset of the files in the depot. This command is used to create or edit a client workspace specification; invoking this command displays a form in which the user enters the information required by Perforce to maintain the client workspace.

Although there is always a one-to-one mapping between a client workspace file and a depot file, these files need not be stored at the same relative locations, nor must they have the same names. The client view, which is specified in the p4 client forms View: field, specifies how files in the client workspace are mapped to the depot, and vice-versa.

When called without a clientname argument, p4 client will operate on the client workspace specified by the P4CLIENT environment variable or its equivalents. When called with a clientname argument, the client specification is displayed read-only.

When p4 client completes, the new or altered client workspace specification is stored within the Perforce database; the files in the client workspace are not touched. The new client view doesn't take effect until the next p4 sync.

Form Fields


Field Name	Type	Description
`Client:`	Read-only	The client workspace name, as specified in the `P4CLIENT` environment variable or its equivalents.
`Owner:`	Writable	The Perforce user name of the user who owns the client workspace. The default is the user who created the client workspace.
`Update:`	Read-only	The date the client workspace specification was last modified.
`Access:`	Read-only	The date and time that any part of the client workspace specification was last accessed by any Perforce command`.`
`Description:`	Writable, optional	A textual description of the client workspace. The default text is `Created by owner`.
`Root:`	Writable	The directory on the local host from which all the files in the `View:` are specified relative to.
`Options:`	Writable	A set of six switches that control particular client options. See the Usage Notes, below, for the listing of these options.
`View:`	Writable, multi-line	Specifies the mappings between files in the depot and files in the client workspace. See Using Views for more information.

Options


`-t template`	Copy client workspace template's view into the `View:` field of this client workspace.
`-f`	Allows the last modification date, which is normally read-only, to be set. Can also be used by Perforce superusers to delete or modify clients that they don't own.
`-d [-f] clientname`	Delete the specified client workspace, if the client is owned by the invoking user and it is unlocked. The `-f` flag allows Perforce superusers to delete client workspaces that they don't own.
`-i`	Read the client description from standard input.
`-o`	Write the client specification to standard output.
`g_opts`	See global options section.

Usage Notes


Can File Arg Use Revision Specifier?	Can File Arg Use Revision Range?	Minimal Access Level Required
<NA>	<NA>	`list`

The Options: field contains six values, separated by spaces. Each of the six options have two possible settings; the following table provides the option values and their meanings.


Option	Choice	Default
`[no]allwrite`	Should unopened files be left writable on the client?	`noallwrite`
`[no]clobber`	Should `p4 sync` overwrite (clobber) writable but unopened files in the client with the same name as the newly-synced files?	`noclobber`
`[no]modtime`	Should the modification date of a newly-synced file be the date the file was synced, or the date it was submitted to the depot?	`nomodtime`(date and time of sync)
`[no]crlf`	Should CR/LF translation be performed automatically when copying files between the depot and the client workspace? (On UNIX, this setting is ignored).	`crlf`
`[no]compress`	Should the data sent between the client and the server be compressed? Both client and server must be version 99.1 or higher, or this setting will be ignored.	`nocompress`
`[un]locked`	Do other users have permission to edit the client specification? (To make a locked client specification truly effective, be sure to set a password for the client's owner with `p4 passwd`.	`unlocked`

By default, any user can edit any client workspace specification with p4 client -c clientname. To prevent this from happening, set the locked option and use p4 passwd to create a password for the client workspace owner.
If a client workspace name with a space in it is created, it will be translated to an underscore (e.g. p4 client "my client" will create client workspace my_client).
The compress option will speed up client/server communications over slow links by reducing the amount of data that has to be transmitted. Over fast links, the compression process itself may consume more time then is saved in transmission. In general, compress should be set for line speeds under T1, and should be left unset otherwise. Your mileage may vary.
CR/LF translation is useful when Mac or Windows clients will be sharing files with UNIX clients. The crlf option will translate the end-of-line character on Mac and Windows clients to be <CR><LF>, while leaving the end-of-line character on UNIX clients as <LF>.

Examples


`p4 client`	Edit or create the client workspace specification named by the value of `P4CLIENT` or its equivalents.
`p4 client -t sue joe`	Create or edit client workspace `joe`, opening the form with the field values in client workspace `sue` as defaults.
`p4 client -d release1`	Delete the client workspace `release1.`

Related Commands


To list client workspaces known to the system	`p4 clients`
To read files from the depot into the client workspace	`p4 sync`
To open new files in the client workspace for addition to the depot	`p4 add`
To open files in the client workspace for edit	`p4 edit`
To open files in the client workspace for deletion	`p4 delete`
To write changes in client workspace files to the depot	`p4 submit`

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