p4 branch
Synopsis
Create or edit a branch mapping and its view.
Syntax
p4 [g-opts
] branch [-f]
branchspec
p4 [g-opts
] branch -d [-f]
branchspec
p4 [g-opts
] branch [-S
stream
] [-P parent
]
-o 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 mapping, integrate files by
typing p4 integrate
-b branchname
; the branch
mapping 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.
Warning
A branch, depot, label, and workspace may not share the same name.
Form Fields
Field Name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
|
read-only |
The branch name, as provided on the command line. |
|
mandatory |
The owner of the branch mapping. By default, this will be set to the
user who created the branch. This field is unimportant unless the
The specified owner does not have to be a Perforce user. You might want to use an arbitrary name if the user does not yet exist, or if you have deleted the user and need a placeholder until you can assign the spec to a new user. |
|
read-only |
The date the branch mapping was last accessed. |
|
read-only |
The date the branch mapping was last changed. |
|
mandatory |
Either If |
|
optional |
A short description of the branch’s purpose. |
|
mandatory |
A set of mappings from one set of files in the depot (the For example, the branch view
maps all the files under |
Options
|
Delete the named branch mapping. 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 option. |
|
Force option. Combined with |
|
Read the branch mapping from standard input without invoking an editor. |
|
Write the branch mapping to standard output without invoking an editor. |
|
For a specified stream, display the mapping that is generated by
treating the stream as a child of the specified parent. Requires
|
|
Display the mapping generated for the specified stream. This option enables you to see how change is propagated between the stream and its parent. |
|
See “Global Options”. |
Usage Notes
Can File Arguments Use Revision Specifier? | Can File Arguments Use Revision Range? | Minimal Access Level Required |
---|---|---|
N/A |
N/A |
|
-
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 can contain multiple mappings. See “Views” for more information on specifying views.
-
If a path or file name contains spaces, use quotes around the path. For instance:
//depot/project/dev/... "//depot/project/release 2.0/..."
-
Paths can be excluded from a branch view to prevent a subset of files from being merged. For instance the following view entry prevents any files named
AssemblyInfo.cs
from being merged betweenMAIN
andREL
:-//depot/MAIN/.../AssemblyInfo.cs //depot/REL/.../AssemblyInfo.cs
Similarly, entire directories can be excluded from a branch view:
-//depot/MAIN/bin/... //depot/REL/bin/...
See “Views” for more information on specifying views.
- Branch views can also be used with
p4 diff2
with the syntax p4 diff2 -bbranchname
fromFiles
. This will diff the files that match the patternfromFiles
against their correspondingtoFiles
as defined in the branch view.