Perforce Comparisons
How Perforce Enterprise Version Management Compares to Version Control Tools
The following documents compare and contrast the most significant differences between Perforce enterprise version management and version control tools such as IBM Rational ClearCase, Subversion, Microsoft Team Foundation Server, and Visual SourceSafe. Instead of comparing each available feature, they focus on significant qualitative aspects such as administration, atomic transactions, and usability.
Perforce and ClearCasePerforce 2008.1 and ClearCase 7.002 with new Appendix - What's Changed in Perforce 2011 and ClearCase 8.0. Read this document to:
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Perforce and CVSCompares Perforce (version 2009.1) and CVS (CVSNT version 2.5.04.3510), focusing on the differences in performance, atomic transactions, and distributed development.
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Perforce and Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS)Compares Perforce (version 2011.1) and Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Team Foundation Server. Read this document to:
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Perforce and IBM Rational Team Concert (RTC)Compares Perforce (version 2011.1) and IBM Rational Team Concert (version 3.0.1). Read this document to:
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Perforce and SubversionCompares Perforce (version 2011.1) and Subversion (version 1.7). Read this document to:
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Perforce and Visual SourceSafe (VSS)Compares Perforce (version 2008.1) and Microsoft Visual SourceSafe 2005, focusing on qualitative aspects such as system architecture, performance, and usability.
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Planning and implementing an SCM migration to Perforce from ClearCase, VSS, CVS, SVN, MKS, PVCS, or other SCM system? Get the migration tools and information you need to make the switch to Perforce.
Perforce Consulting services are also available if you would like assistance with the design and implemention of your SCM migration.
Glossary of Terms
Different version control tools sometimes use different terminology to refer to familiar commands and functions. The following table lists common Perforce commands/features and maps them to commonly used terminology/features by developers.
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Perforce calls it... |
Other version control tools might call it... |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|
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add |
check in, extract part |
The first time you place a file in the depot, you add it.
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annotate |
annotate |
Displays the lines of a file along with the number of the revision that introduced each line. It is functionally similar to the CVS annotate command, but with the option to show deleted lines and note both the revision of introduction and deletion.
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branch |
codeline, project, stream |
A collection of related files that can be managed as a unit. When you create branches in Perforce, the relationship between source and target files (in other words, the ancestry of files) is preserved.
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changelist |
changeset |
Perforce enables you to group related changes to multiple files into a single atomic transaction.
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client workspace |
project, view, sandbox, family + release + component + work area |
A directory structure on your computer where you work with local copies of files that are under source control. This workspace can contain one or more projects and codelines.
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depot |
repository, archive, VOB |
The central storage for your source code and related files. The Perforce Server manages one or more depots, which are mapped to client workspaces through the client-server network connection. The server filesystem does not need to be mounted by the client computer.
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edit |
check out (for edit) |
With Perforce, multiple users can open the same file for edit, then resolve the differences to ensure that no changes are overwritten.
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head revision |
tip revision, head |
The most recent revision of a file.
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integrate |
merge, branch |
To propagate selected changes from one codeline to another.
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job |
work order, change request, ECO |
A work request, such as a bug report or enhancement request. Using Perforce, you can associate a job with the changelists that record the work the job required.
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label |
baseline, tag |
A named list of user-specified revisions of files.
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merge |
merge |
Resolving file conflicts by combining the contents of two conflicting file revisions into a single file or accepting one of the conflicting files and discarding the other.
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resolve |
merge |
Reconciling the differences between two revisions of a file.
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revert |
uncheckout, undo checkout, |
Discard any changes you made to files on your client computer and copy a version from the depot (shared repository) to your client workspace.
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submit |
check in, put |
After you change a file in your client workspace, you submit your change to the depot.
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sync |
check out tip, refresh, extract part, |
Copy files from the depot (shared repository) to your client workspace.
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