Perforce Command Reference: [Index] [Prev] [Next]

p4 sync

Synopsis

Copy files from the depot into the client workspace

Syntax

p4 [g-opts] sync [-f -n] [file[revRange]...]

Description

p4 sync brings the client workspace in sync with the depot by copying files matching the file pattern arguments from the depot into the client workspace. When no file patterns are specified on the command line, it will copy a particular depot file only if it meets the following criteria:

The file must be visible through the client view;
It must not already be opened by p4 edit, p4 delete, p4 add, or p4 integrate;
It must not already exist in the client workspace at its latest revision (the head revision).

In new, empty, client workspaces, all depot files meet the last two criteria, so all the files visible through the client view will be copied into the client workspace.

If file patterns are specified on the command line, only those files that match the file patterns and that meet the above criteria are copied. If the file pattern contains a revision specifier, the specified revision is copied into the client workspace. If the file argument includes a revision range, only files selected by the revision range are updated, and the highest revision in the range is used.

The newly-synced files are not available for editing until opened with p4 edit or p4 delete. Newly-synced files are read-only; p4 edit and p4 delete make the files writable. Under normal circumstances, you should not use OS commands to make the files writable; let Perforce do this for you.

Options


`-n`	Display the results of the sync without actually performing the sync. This lets you make sure that the sync does what you think it does before you do it.
`-f`	Force the sync. Perforce performs the sync even if the client workspace already has the file at the specified revision, and even if the file is not writable. This flag does not affect open files.
`g_opts`	See global options section.

Usage Notes


Can File Arg Use Revision Specifier?	Can File Arg Use Revision Range?	Minimal Access Level Required
Yes	Yes	`read`

If the client view has changed since the last sync, the next sync will remove from the client workspace those files that are no longer visible through the client view, and will copy into the client workspace those depot files that were not previously visible.
If a user has made certain files writable by using OS commands outside of Perforce's control, p4 sync will not normally overwrite those files. If the clobber option in the p4 client form has been turned on, these files will be overwritten.

Examples


`p4 sync`	Copy the latest revision of all files from the depot to the client workspace, as mapped through the client view. If the file is already open in the client workspace, or if the latest revision of the file exists in the client workspace, it will not be copied.
`p4 sync #4`	Copy the fourth revision of all files from the depot to the client workspace, with the same exceptions as in the example above.
`p4 sync //depot/proj1/...@21`	Copy all the files under the `//depot/proj1` directory from the depot to the client workspace, as mapped through the client view. Don't copy the latest revision; use the revision of the file in the depot after changelist 21 was submitted.

Related Commands


To open a file in a client workspace and list it in a changelist	`p4 add p4 edit p4 delete p4 integrate`
To copy changes to files in the client workspace to the depot	`p4 submit`
To view a list of files and revisions that have been synced to the client workspace	`p4 have`

Perforce Command Reference: [Index] [Prev] [Next]