To tag a set of file revisions (in addition to any revisions that have already been tagged), use p4 tag, specifying a label name and the desired file revisions.

For example, to tag the head revisions of files that reside under //depot/release/jam/2.1/src/ with the label jam-2.1.0, issue the following command:

p4 tag -l jam-2.1.0 //depot/release/jam/2.1/src/...

To tag revisions other than the head revision, specify a changelist number in the file pattern:

p4 tag -l jam-2.1.0 //depot/release/jam/2.1/src/...@1234

Only one revision of a given file can be tagged with a given label, but the same file revision can be tagged by multiple labels.

You can untag revisions with:

p4 tag -d -l labelname filepattern

This command removes the association between the specified label and the file revisions tagged by it. For example, if you have tagged all revisions under //depot/release/jam/2.1/src/... with jam-2.1.0, you can untag only the header files with:

p4 tag -d -l jam-2.1.0 //depot/release/jam/2.1/src/*.h

You can preview the results of p4 tag with p4 tag -n. This command lists the revisions that would be tagged, untagged, or retagged by the tag command without actually performing the operation.

To list the revisions tagged with labelname, use p4 files, specifying the label name as follows:

p4 files @labelname

All revisions tagged with labelname are listed, with their file type, change action, and changelist number. (This command is equivalent to p4 files //...@labelname).

To list all labels that have been applied to files, use the command:

p4 labels filepattern

You can use a label name anywhere you can refer to files by revision (#1, #head), changelist number (@7381), or date (@2011/07/01).

If you omit file arguments when you issue the p4 sync @labelname command, all files in the client workspace view that are tagged by the label are synced to the revision specified in the label. All files in the workspace that do not have revisions tagged by the label are deleted from the workspace. Open files or files not under Perforce control are unaffected. This command is equivalent to p4 sync //...@labelname.

If you specify file arguments when you issue the p4 sync command (p4 sync files@labelname), files that are in your workspace and tagged by the label are synced to the tagged revision.

//depot/dev/main/jam/Build.com#5 - updating c:\bruno_ws\dev\main\jam\Build.com
//depot/dev/main/jam/command.c#5 - updating c:\bruno_ws\dev\main\jam\command.c
//depot/dev/main/jam/command.h#3 - added as c:\bruno_ws\dev\main\jam\command.h
//depot/dev/main/jam/compile.c#12 - updating c:\bruno_ws\dev\main\jam\compile.c
//depot/dev/main/jam/compile.h#2 - updating c:\bruno_ws\dev\main\jam\compile.h
<etc>

To delete a label, use the following command:

p4 label -d labelname

Deleting a label has no effect on the tagged file revisions (though, of course, the revisions are no longer tagged).

To create a label without tagging any file revisions, issue the p4 label labelname command. This command displays a form in which you describe and specify the label. After you have created a label, you can use p4 tag or p4 labelsync to apply the label to file revisions.

Label names cannot be the same as client workspace, branch, or depot names.

For example, to create jam-2.1.0, issue the following command:

p4 label jam-2.1.0

The following form is displayed:

Label:    jam-2.1.0
Update:    2011/03/07 13:07:39
Access:    2011/03/07 13:13:35
Owner:    earl
Description:
     Created by earl.
Options:     unlocked noautoreload
View:
     //depot/...

Enter a description for the label and save the form. (You do not need to change the View: field.)

After you create the label, you are able to use the p4 tag and p4 labelsync commands to apply the label to file revisions.

The View: field in the p4 label form limits the files that can be tagged with a label. The default label view includes the entire depot (//depot/...). To prevent yourself from inadvertently tagging every file in your depot, set the label's View: field to the files and directories to be taggable, using depot syntax.

Label:    jam-2.1.0
Update:    2011/03/07 13:07:39
Access:    2011/03/07 13:13:35
Owner:    earl
Description:
     Created by earl.
Options:     unlocked noautoreload
View:
     //depot/release/jam/2.1/src/...

You can use static labels to archive the state of your client workspace (meaning the currently synced file revisions) by issuing the p4 labelsync command. The label you specify must have the same view as your client workspace.

For example, to record the configuration of your current client workspace using the existing ws_config label, use the following command:

p4 labelsync -l ws_config

All file revisions that are synced to your current workspace and visible through both the client workspace view and the label view (if any) are tagged with the ws_config label. Files that were previously tagged with ws_config, then subsequently removed from your workspace (p4 sync #none), are untagged.

To sync the files tagged by the ws_config label (thereby recreating the workspace configuration), issue the following command:

p4 sync @ws_config

You can use automatic labels to specify files at certain revisions without having to issue the p4 labelsync command.

To create an automatic label, fill in the Revision: field of the p4 label form with a revision specifier. When you sync a workspace to an automatic label, the contents of the Revision: field are applied to every file in the View: field.

Label:    nightly20111201
Owner:    earl
Description:
     Nightly build process.
Options:     unlocked noautoreload
View:
     //depot/...
Revision:
     @1234

Label:    patch20111201
Owner:    earl
Description:
     Patch to 2011/12/01 nightly build.
Options:     unlocked noautoreload
View:
     //depot/...
Revision:
     @1238,1238

Label:    first2.2
Owner:    earl
Description:
     The first revision in the 2.2 branch
Options:     unlocked noautoreload
View:
     //depot/release/jam/2.2/src/...
Revision:
     "#1"

To tag the files that are in your client workspace and label view (if set) and untag all other files, issue the p4 labelsync command with no arguments. To prevent the inadvertent tagging and untagging of files, issue the p4 label labelname command and lock the label by setting the Options: field of the label form to locked. To prevent other users from unlocking the label, set the Owner: field. For details about Perforce privileges, refer to the Perforce System Administrator's Guide.

Release 2013.2 of the Perforce server introduced distributed server technology, comprising central and edge servers. With a distributed Perforce service, users typically connect to an edge server and execute commands just as they would with a classic Perforce service. For more information, refer to Distributing Perforce.

When connected to an edge server, the commands p4 label, p4 labelsync, and p4 tag operate on labels local to the edge server. Global labels can be manipulated by using the -g flag. For details, refer to the Perforce Command Reference.