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P4 Visual Client (P4V) Documentation | 2025.4

# P4VC command line client for P4V components

P4VC is a command-line client that can send certain P4 command-line commands to P4V without having to open a full P4V instance. For example, some users of the P4 command-line client might find P4VC to be a convenient way to view the Revision Graph, the Stream Graph, and create or update a review for P4 Code Review.

If P4V is not already running on your computer, your first P4VC command launches a P4V instance.

If P4V is already running, your P4VC commands apply to your P4V instance.

## Command Syntax

Command-line help is available:

p4vc -h displays the list of options:

    p4vc [options] command [arg ...]

    Options:
        -h -?           print this message
        -V              print client version
        -c client       set client name (default $P4CLIENT)
        -C charset      set character set (default $P4CHARSET)
        -p port         set server port (default $P4PORT)
        -u user         set user's username (default $P4USER)

p4vc -help displays the list of commands.

You will see more complete help when you invoke the help for a specific command, such as
`p4vc help branch`
but what follows is a summary of the output of
p4vc help [command]
for each command.

Command | Purpose | Syntax
--- | --- | ---
help | Print the requested help message. | p4vc [options] help
shutdown | Shut downs the p4v service. This command does not require a client workspace. | p4vc [options] shutdown
branch | Show or edit the branch. | p4vc [options] branches
branches | Same as branchmappings. Show the list of branch mappings. | p4vc [options] branches
branchmappings | Shows the list of branch mappings. | p4vc [options] branchmappings
change | Show/Edit change. | p4vc [options] change [ spec, ... ]
client | Same as workspace. Show/Edit workspace. | p4vc [options] client [ spec, ... ]
clients | Same as workspaces. Show the list of workspaces. | p4vc [options] clients
depot | Show/Edit depot. | p4vc [options] depot [ spec, ... ]
diff | Show the Diff Files dialog box. If you specify files, you can use depot paths, local paths, or a mix of depot and local paths. | p4vc [options] diff [ file(s) ]
diff -f | Diff two valid file paths immediately, without first showing the Diff Files dialog box. You can specify depot paths, local paths, or a mix of depot and local paths. | p4vc [options] diff -f filepath1 filepath2
diffhave | Diff opened files against have revision (local paths). If you specify files, you can use depot paths, local paths, or a mix of depot and local paths. | p4vc [options] diffhave [ file(s) ]
diffprev | Diff against a previous revision (depot path#revision). If you specify files, you can use depot paths, local paths, or a mix of depot and local paths. | p4vc [options] diffprev [ file(s) ]
group | Show/Edit group. | p4vc [options] group [ spec, ... ]
groups | Show the list of groups. | p4vc [options] groups
history | Shows file history. | p4vc [options] history [ file(s), ... ]
job | Show/Edit job. | p4vc [options] job [ spec, ... ]
jobs | Show the list of jobs. | p4vc [options] jobs
label | Show/Edit label. | p4vc [options] label [ spec, ... ]
labels | Show the list of labels. | p4vc [options] labels
pendingchanges | Show the list of pending changes. | p4vc [options] pendingchanges
properties | Shows file details. | p4vc [options] properties [ file(s), ... ]
resolve | Launches resolve dialog box. | p4vc [options] resolve [ -f ] [ -c num ] [ file(s), ... ]
revgraph | Same as revisiongraph. Shows the revision graph. | p4vc [options] revgraph [ file(s), ... ]
reviewrequest | Launches the Request new Swarm Review dialog box. If you want to create a review request for the default changelist, use `p4vc reviewrequest` without providing a changelist number. | p4vc [options] reviewrequest [ -c num ]
reviewupdate | Launches the Update Review dialog box to update an existing P4 Code Review. This can be to update a changelist that is already associated with a review in P4 Code Review as well as to add a pending or submitted changelist to an existing review. | p4vc [options] reviewupdate -c num
revisiongraph | Show the revision graph. | p4vc [options] revisiongraph [ file(s), ... ]
streamgraph | Show the stream graph pane. | p4vc [options] streamgraph [ file(s) ]
streams | Shows the list of streams | p4vc [options] streams
submit | Launch the submit dialog box. | p4vc [options] submit [ -c num ] [ file(s), ... ]
submittedchanges | Show the list of submitted changes. | p4vc [options] submittedchanges
timelapse | Show time-lapse view. See View file history with Time-lapse View. | p4vc [options] timelapse [-l linenumber] [ file(s), ... ]
timelapseview | Same as timelapse. Show time-lapse view. | p4vc [options] timelapseview [ file(s), ... ]
tlv | Same as timelapse. Show time-lapse view. | p4vc [options] tlv [ file(s), ... ]
topology | Graphically display the topology data in the specified `json-file` that contains the output of the `p4 -Mj -ztag topology` command. See p4 topology in the P4 CLI Reference and Topology tab in the P4 Admin Documentation. | p4vc [options] topology json-file
user | Show/Edit user. | p4vc [options] user
users | Show the list of users. | p4vc [options] users
workspace | Show/Edit workspace. | p4vc [options] workspace [ spec, ... ]
workspaces | Show the list of workspaces. | p4vc [options] workspaces
workspacewindow | Launches a WorkspaceWindow for the provided connection. If the window is already opened, it will be brought to the foreground, and the requested selection will be applied. `-s` takes a filepath in local or depot format. The file will be selected in either the workspace or depot browser. `-t` takes a tab label specifying the active tab. The recognized values are: `pending`, `submitted`, `files`, `branches`, `workspaces`, `jobs`, `streams`, `streamgraph`, `labels` and `remotes` `-r` refreshes the running P4V connection workspace defined by p4vc. If more than one instance of P4V is running, `-r` operates on the first one. For example, if you have one instance of P4V running with connections A and B, and you issue a `p4vc workspacewindow -r` for connection B, that one instance is refreshed. However, if you start a second instance of P4V running with connection C, then issue a `p4vc workspacewindow -r` for connection C, p4vc opens a new Connection C on the first instance instead of refreshing the second instance. | p4vc [options] workspacewindow [ -r ] [ -s path ] [ -t tab ]

- Host = localhost Port = 7999
- The first command sent from P4VC launches a background process. If it fails, the connection timeout is 45 seconds
- Submit HTML Actions are available with P4VC. HTML Actions provide a way to customize behavior before or after a Submit action. To develop your own custom HTML Actions, see the Add custom HTML pages to P4V topic in the P4V API for JavaScript Documentation.

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