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P4 CLI Documentation | 2025.2

# Configure streams

To configure a stream, you edit its associated stream spec. A stream spec names a path in a stream depot to be treated as a stream. A stream spec defines the stream’s location, its type, its parent stream, the files in its view, whether it inherits its parent stream's view, and other configurable behavior. To create a stream, use the p4 stream command.

Files can be imported from the parent stream or from other streams.

You can update the entries in a stream spec to change the stream’s characteristics. See Update streams

## Stream spec example

Run the following command:

p4 stream -o //Acme/dev

and add your configuration to the form:

Copy

    # A Perforce Stream Specification.
    #
    # Use *'p4 help stream'* to see more about stream specifications and command.

    Stream:  //Acme/dev

    Update:  2021/11/06 10:57:04

    Access:  2021/11/06 10:57:04

    Owner:   maria

    Name:    //Acme/dev

    Parent:  //Acme/main

    Type:    development

    Description:
             Our primary development stream for the project.

    Options: allsubmit unlocked toparent fromparent mergeany

    ParentView: inherit

    Paths:
        share ...
        import boost/... //3rd_party/boost/1.53.0/artifacts/original/...
        import boost/lib/linux26x86_64/... //3rd_party/boost/1.53.0/artifacts/original/lib/linuxx86_64/gcc44libc212/...
        import boost/lib/linux26x86/... //3rd_party/boost/1.53.0/artifacts/original/lib/linuxx86/gcc44libc212/...
        import protobuf/... //3rd_party/protobuf/2.4.1/artifacts/patch-1/...
        import gtest/... //3rd_party/gtest/1.7.0/artifacts/original/...
        import icu/... //3rd_party/icu/53.1/artifacts/original/...
        import p4-bin/lib.ntx64/vs11/p4api_vs2012_dyn.zip //builds/p21.1/p4-bin/bin.ntx64/p4api_vs2012_dyn.zip
        import p4/... //depot/p21.1/p4/...
        exclude p4/lbr/...
        exclude p4/server/...

    Remapped:
        p4/doc/... p4/relnotes/...

    Ignored:
        .../~tmp.txt

For a description of each field in the stream spec, see "Form Fields" in the p4 stream topic of P4 CLI Reference.

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