p4 obliterate

Synopsis

Syntax

Warning

In contrast, p4 obliterate deletes the file data itself, precluding any possibility of recovery.

Use p4 obliterate with caution. This is the only command in Perforce that actually removes file data.

Description

p4 obliterate requires at least one file pattern as an argument. To actually perform the obliteration, the -y flag is required; without it, p4 obliterate merely reports what it would do without actually performing the obliteration.

If you specify a single revision (for instance, p4 obliterate file#3), only that revision of the file is obliterated. If you specify a revision range (for instance, p4 obliterate file#3,5), only the revisions in that range are obliterated.

The -z flag is used with branches; after branching a file from one area of the depot into another. When a branch is made, a "lazy copy" is performed - the file itself isn't copied; only a record of the branch is made. If you want to "obliterate" the lazy copy performed by the branch, thereby creating an extra copy of the file in the depot, use p4 obliterate -z on it. Note that this typically increases disk space usage.

Options

-y filespec	Perform the obliterate operation. Without this flag, p4 obliterate merely reports what it would do.
-z filespec	Undo "lazy copies" only; remove no files nor metadata. This option is most commonly used when working with branches in order to ensure that no other files in the database refer to the named files.
g-opts	See the Global Options section.

Usage Notes

Can File Arguments Use Revision Specifier?	Can File Arguments Use Revision Range?	Minimal Access Level Required
Yes	Yes	admin

• p4 obliterate is most often used to reclaim disk space from files that are no longer required, or to clean up mistakes made by users who, for instance, may have created a file hierarchy in the wrong place.

• Obliterating files can alter the behavior of user commands. Syncing to an obliterated revision will remove the file from your client workspace, syncing to the head revision will either remove the file from your client workspace (if all revisions were obliterated), or provide you with the most recent non-obliterated revision of the file.

• Obliterating files in revision ranges can also change the behavior of scripts, as revision numbers of files may "skip" obliterated revisions. For instance, the output of p4 filelog after obliterating revisions #2 and #3 might look like this:
  ... #4 change 1276 edit on 2001/04/18 by user@dev1 (binary) 'Fixed'
  ... #1 change 1231 add on 2001/04/12 by user@dev1 (binary) 'First try'

In this case, a developer using the #4 in the first line of the output to assume the existence of four change descriptions in the output of p4 filelog would be in trouble.

• To undo lazy copies, the -z option also requires the -y option.

Examples

p4 obliterate dir/...	Do not obliterate any files; list the files that would be obliterated with the -y option. In this case, all files in directory dir and below would be subject to deletion with the -y option.
p4 obliterate -y file	Obliterate file from the depot. All history and metadata for every revision of file are erased.
p4 obliterate -y file#3	Obliterate only the third revision of file. If #3 was the head revision, the new head revision is now #2 and the next revision will be revision #3. If #3 was not the head revision, the head revision remains unchanged.
p4 obliterate -y file#3,5	Obliterate revisions 3, 4, and 5 of file. If #5 was the head revision, the new head revision is now #2, and the next revision will be #3. If #5 was not the head revision, the head revision remains unchanged.

Related Commands

To mark a file deleted at its head revision but leave it in the depot. This is the normal way of deleting files.

p4 delete