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P4 for Eclipse Documentation | 2025.2

# Setting preferences

To change the Perforce preferences, choose Window > Preferences, expand the Team node, then expand the Perforce node. Click the node for the preferences you want to change. The following sections describe the preferences in more detail.

## General Perforce settings:

Setting | What it does
--- | ---
When adding a new file | Mark for add: Files are added to the default changelist The changes to files or stream specifications along with metadata, such as the list of changed files, their version numbers, the submitter of the changelist, and the submitter's description of the changes. A changelist is the unit of versioned work. Create a marker: Tasks are created when files are added to the workspace Take no action: No action is taken when files are added to the workspace
Show changelist selection dialog when marking files for add, checking out, and marking for delete | To display a dialog that enables you to specify the target changelist for the operation, enable this option. To open files in the default changelist, disable this option.
Show changelist selection dialog when refactoring files
Enable support for Workbench edit, delete, rename and refactoring operations | To automatically perform the P4 Server operations corresponding to the changes you make to the files in your project, enable this option. Note: If you disable the option, your workspace and depot files can become inconsistent. To ensure consistency between the workspace and depot, do not disable this option.
Enable support for Workbench save operations (Useful for files set as always writable) | To automatically check out always-writable files when you save them, enable this option. By default, files set as always writable (using the P4 Server workspace ALLWRITE setting) are not automatically checked out when you start editing them.
Use "move" command during refactoring operations | The P4 Server move command, added in release 2010.1, removes the paired add and delete integrations required in prior releases, to maximize server efficiency and simplify integration history.
Mark project files for delete when deleting a project | Specifies whether project files are marked for delete by P4 Server when you delete project files.
Mark linked files/folders for delete when deleting linked resources | Specifies whether linked resources are marked for delete by P4 Server when you delete project files.
Disable marker decoration | Specifies whether to skip marker decoration when resources have changed. This helps performance during/after large project builds with a slow network connection to the P4 Server.
Log all commands to a persistent log file | Logs p4 commands to the workspace log file.
Retain offline connection state between Eclipse sessions | If you intend to work offline (that is, without connection to a P4 Server), enable this option to suppress connection-related messages that are normally issued when Eclipse is launched and attempts to connect to the server.
Retain expanded depots/folders in P4 Connections view between Eclipse sessions | To preserve the display state of the depot tree for future Eclipse sessions, enable this option.
Group synchronizations by changelist in the Synchronize view | To group files by the P4 Server changelist in which they are checked out, enable this option. By default, files are grouped by project in the Synchronize view.
Prompt for confirmation when deleting resources | To confirm that the file will be marked as deleted from P4 Server when deleting a local file. By default, deleting a local file will also mark the file as deleted from P4 Server.
Refresh resource will also refresh Perforce revision information | To update the Perforce P4 Server revision information when a local file is refreshed. By default, refreshing a local file will not update the revision information for that file.

## Advanced settings

For use only as directed by Perforce Technical Support.

## Branches

This setting determines whether the plug-in fetches all jobs or a limited number of branch specifications from the P4 Server. If your server contains a large number of branch specifications, setting a limit can minimize server overhead.

## Changelists

This setting determines whether the plug-in fetches all jobs or a limited number of changelists from the P4 Server. If your server contains a large number of changelists, setting a limit can minimize server overhead.

> Editor: configure how you enter changelist descriptions.

> Templates: configure standard entries for changelist descriptions.

## Console

These settings determine how text is displayed in the Perforce console view.

Setting | What it does
--- | ---
Command line | P4 Server commands are displayed in the specified color
Message | Informative messages from the P4 Server are displayed in the specified color
Error | Error messages from the P4 Server are displayed in the specified color
Command history size | Number of commands retained in the log view
Show timestamp | Enable/disable the display of the date and time the command was issued.

## External Tools

Configures the location of the P4 Merge, and P4VC executables, which provide supporting functionality for P4 for Eclipse.

Each field shows the required minimum version number for a particular external tool integration. Ensure that you download and configure an appropriate program version.

## Folder Diff

Enables you to configure the colors that are used to indicate differences between folders.

## Jobs

This setting determines whether the plug-in fetches all jobs or a limited number of jobs from the P4 Server. If your server contains a large number of jobs, setting a limit can minimize server overhead.

## Label Decorations

These settings specify how the status of files under Perforce control is displayed. You can also configure the textual status information that is displayed in Perforce views. By default, only the add, edit, and delete file decorations are displayed.

## Labels

This setting determines whether the plug-in fetches all labels or a limited number of labels from the server. If your server contains a large number of labels, setting a limit can minimize server overhead.

## Merge Quest

This setting determines if hover tooltips are displayed for codelines and connectors in Merge Quest.

## Mylyn

These settings determine if the Mylyn task editor is used by default when editing jobs and how it used.

> Connections Mappings enables you to configure the settings for defect trackers that are used in conjunction with Perforce jobs by Mylyn.

> Job Layout enables you to specify how job fields are displays in Mylyn tasks.

## Resolve

These settings determine the default method for resolving files, automatic resolve options, and binary resolve options.

## Revision graph

The Revision graph shows the changelist numbers of submitted changelists related to changes in the stream specification. To access the Revision graph in P4 for Eclipse:

1. Go to Settings > Preference > Version Control > Perforce > External Tools

2. Add P4VC executable path. To save your changes, click Apply and click Close to close the dialog box.

3. Right-click on any file in P4 for Eclipse and click Revision Graph.

   The Revision Graph opens for the selected file in the P4 Visual Client (P4V) (P4V).

## Shelved Changes

This setting determines whether the plug-in fetches all labels or a limited number of changelists from the server. If your server contains a large number of changelists, setting a limit can minimize server overhead.

## Streams

Configures settings for Streams. You can configure the stream switch options and the display settings for P4 Streams view.

## Time-lapse

Configures settings for Time-lapse View. You can configure the file types for which Time-lapse View enables its syntax-sensitive features, the data to be displayed, and the palette used to display aging of changes.

## Workspaces

Configures settings for the Perforce workspace. You can configure the default client root of the workspace, and the synchronization behavior when the Perforce workspace changes.

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