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P4 CLI Documentation | 2026.1

# Edit files

Now that the files are stored in the depot, you or others can check them out of the depot to edit them. To open files for edit, run the `p4 edit` command, followed by the names of the files you want to edit:

    p4 edit file1.txt

This displays output like the following:

    //JamCode/main/file1.txt#1 - opened for edit

Now you can edit the file in the editor of your choice and make changes. After you’ve made the changes, you submit the changelist associated with the files:

    p4 submit

This open a `change specification` in an editor:

Copy

    #
    #  Change:      The change number. 'new' on a new changelist.
    #  Date:        The date this specification was last modified.
    #  Client:      The client on which the changelist was created.  Read-only.
    #  User:        The user who created the changelist.
    #  Status:      Either 'pending' or 'submitted'. Read-only.
    #  Type:        Either 'public' or 'restricted'. Default is 'public'.
    #  Description: Comments about the changelist.  Required.
    #  ImportedBy:  The user who fetched or pushed this change to this server.
    #  Identity:    Identifier for this change.
    #  Jobs:        What opened jobs are to be closed by this changelist.
    #               You may delete jobs from this list.  (New changelists only.)
    #  Files:       What opened files from the default changelist are to be added
    #               to this changelist.  You may delete files from this list.
    #               (New changelists only.)

    Change: new

    Client: bruno_ws

    User:   bruno

    Status: new

    Description:
        enter description here

    Files:
        //JamCode/main/file1.txt       # edit

Enter a description under `Description`, save your changes, and exit the editor. This stores the edits you made in the P4 Server depot. The output might be like this:

    Change 2 created with 1 open file(s).
    Submitting change 2.
    Locking 1 files ...
    edit //JamCode/main/file1.txt#2
    Change 2 submitted.

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