P4EXP Help

This help topic provides a brief overview of P4EXP, the Helix Plugin for Windows Explorer, including its menu options and troubleshooting. P4EXP enables you to perform Helix Core tasks on files in the context of your file browser (for example, Windows Explorer). For more detailed information about Helix Core, see the full documentation set on the Documentation page of the Perforce Website.

Connecting to Helix Core

In order to perform Helix Core version control actions on files in Windows Explorer, you must be connected to a Helix Versioning Engine, also referred to as Helix server, with a valid user and workspace. You can set these connection variables in the Windows environment, per directory with a P4CONFIG file, or a combination of both. (Note that P4CONFIG files will override Windows environment settings for the current working directory.)

To set Helix Core variables in the Windows environment:

  1. Open a command window.
  2. Set the individual Helix Core variables with the following commands:

  3. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to a location under the workspace root defined by the workspace named in P4CLIENT.

To set Helix Core variables with P4CONFIG files:

  1. Open a command window.
  2. Set the Helix Core variable for P4CONFIG with the following command:

  3. For each workspace root location on the local disk, create a file named <config_file_name>; inside the file add:

    #
    # Perforce configuration file
    #
    P4PORT=<server:port> 
    P4USER=<user_name> 
    P4CLIENT=<workspace_name>
  1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to a location under a workspace root containing a P4CONFIG file.

Environment variables should be an adequate way to set connection settings if you are working with a single server, user, and workspace. If you have more than one workspace that you use on a regular basis, you may benefit from the flexibility of using P4CONFIG files.

For additional information, see:

Menu options

When you right-click a file in your file browser and select Perforce, P4EXP displays some or all of the following menu options, depending on the state of the file.

Log In...

Enables you to enter your password and log in if you are not logged in to Helix Core and you have a password.

Get Latest Revision

Retrieves the most recent version of a file in the depot.

Submit...

Checks in the default changelist. A changelist contains details about the change you made to files in the depot.

Check Out

Opens the files for edit in your default changelist. A changelist logs the changes you make to files in the depot. After you have made your changes, you submit the changelist.

Add to Source Control

Adds the selected files to the default changelist. When you submit the changelist, the files are added to the depot. Only files that reside in directories in your workspace view can be added to a depot.

Revert

Discards all changes you have made to the file. Helix Core restores the head revision of the file from the depot to your workspace, overwriting any changes you have made. The file is no longer checked out.

Revert Unchanged Files

Closes unchanged files in a changelist. The files are no longer checked out.

Diff Against Have Revision

Launches your diff utility to compare (diff) files in your workspace with files at the head revision in the depot to display any changes you have made.

File History

Displays the History dialog, which enables you to view any of the selected file's revisions, get a desired revision into your workspace, or compare two revisions of the same file.

Properties

Displays Helix Core information about a file.

Show in P4V

Opens P4V with the selected file highlighted.

Remove from Workspace

Removes files from your workspace. The files remain in the depot. To restore a file to your workspace, select the file in P4V and choose Get Latest Revision.

Refresh File State

Refreshes the state of the files under Helix Core control.

More

Connection Information: Displays information about your Helix server connection.

Preferences: Enables you to configure P4EXP as follows:

  • Show file state icons: Display Helix Core icon overlays on individual files to indicate file state in the file browser, as follows:

    • Green circle: The file is synced to head.
    • Yellow triangle: The file is out of date.
    • Red check: The file is in your changelist, opened for either add, edit, or delete.
  • Show only error messages: Displays only error messages from the server. By default, all server messages are displayed when you perform an action on a file.
  • Enable logging to file: Logs P4EXP activity to the specified file.

    • Name: Specifies the name and location of the log file.
    • Size: Specifies the maximum size of the log file.

Log Off: Logs you out if you have a password set in Helix Core.

Help: Displays this help page.

Troubleshooting

If you experience issues viewing P4EXP icons, this might be related to file overlay icon limitations on Windows. For more information and a workaround, see the following article in the Perforce Knowledge Base: http://answers.perforce.com/articles/KB/2771