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Perforce 2009.1: Command Reference



p4 branch
Synopsis
Create or edit a branch specification and its view.
Syntax
p4 [g-opts] branch [ -f ] branchspec
p4 [g-opts] branch -o branchspec
p4 [g-opts] branch -d [ -f ] branchspec
p4 [g-opts] branch -i [ -f ]
Description
p4 branch enables you to construct a mapping between two sets of files for use with p4 integrate. A branch view defines the relationship between the files you're integrating from (the fromFiles) and the files you're integrating to (the toFiles). Both sides of the view are specified in depot syntax.
Once you have named and created a branch specification, integrate files by typing p4 integrate -b branchname; the branch specification automatically maps all toFiles to their corresponding fromFiles.
Saving a p4 branch form has no immediate effect on any files in the depot or your client workspace; you must call p4 integrate -b branchspecname to create the branched files in your workspace and to open the files in a changelist.
Form Fields
The owner of the branch specification. By default, this will be set to the user who created the branch. This field is unimportant unless the Option: field value is locked.
Either unlocked (the default) or locked.
If locked, only the Owner: can modify the branch spec, and the spec can't be deleted until it is unlocked.
A set of mappings from one set of files in the depot (the source files) to another set of files in the depot (the target files). The view maps from one location in the depot to another; it can't refer to a client workspace.
maps all the files under //depot/main to //depot/r2.1.
Options
Delete the named branch specification. Files are not affected by this operation; only the stored mapping from one codeline to another is deleted. Normally, only the user who created the branch can use this flag.
Force flag. Combined with -d, allows Perforce administrators to delete branches they don't own. Also allows administrators to change the modification date of the branch specification (the Update: field is writable when using the -f flag).
Usage Notes
Can File Arguments Use
Revision Specifier?
A branch view defines the relationship between two related codelines. For example, if the development files for a project are stored under //depot/project/dev/..., and you want to create a related codeline for the 2.0 release of the project under //depot/project/r2.0/..., specify the branch view as:
//depot/project/dev/... //depot/project/r2.0/...
Branch views may contain multiple mappings. See the Views chapter for more information on specifying views.
//depot/project/dev/... "//depot/project/release 2.0/..."
Branch views can also be used with p4 diff2 with the syntax p4 diff2 -b branchname fromFiles. This will diff the files that match the pattern fromFiles against their corresponding toFiles as defined in the branch view.
Related Commands
 


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Perforce 2009.1: Command Reference
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