Shelving Files

Shelving enables you to store copies of open files temporarily in the shared Perforce repository without checking them in. Shelving is useful for a variety of purposes, including taking and restoring snapshots of in-progress work and reviewing other users' code before it's checked in. When you shelve a file, a copy is placed in a pending changelist from which other users can unshelve it. Pending changelists that contain shelved files are displayed with the following icon and badge: . When the changelist is expanded, shelved files are listed under the Shelved Files node, indicated with the following icon: .

When you manage shelved files, note the following:

  • Basics: To be shelved, a file must be checked out. However, you cannot unshelve a checked-out file.

  • Submitting shelved files: As of Perforce Server 2013.1, you can submit a shelved file directly. For previous versions of Perforce Server, you must first unshelve a file to submit it, then delete the shelved copy. (Unshelving does not delete the shelved copy.)

  • Managing changelists: You cannot move a shelved copy to another pending changelist. If you revert a file after shelving it, the copy remains shelved in the changelist until you delete it. Only the changelist owner can reshelve or delete files that are shelved in the changelist. For Perforce Server releases that predate version 2013.1, you cannot submit a changelist that contains shelved files; you must delete the shelved copies before submitting. Starting with Perforce Server 2013.1, you can submit shelved files directly, but your changelist must contain only shelved files.

  • File history: No file history is created when you shelve or unshelve files.

  • Diffing: You can diff shelved copies just as you diff any other file. For example, to display any changes you made after shelving a file, drag the shelved copy and drop it on the checked-out file.

Shelve checked-out files in a pending changelist

  1. Context-click the changelist and choose Shelve....

    P4V displays the Shelve dialog.

  2. Check the files you want to shelve and click Shelve.

  3. When prompted, enter a description and click OK.

    P4V shelves the file in the selected changelist (or, if you are shelving files in the default changelist, creates a new changelist).

Alternately, you can shelve a checked-out file by dragging it from the pending changelist or depot pane to the Shelved Files node of the changelist where you want it shelved.

Unshelve files

After shelving a file, you or another user can unshelve it, which restores the shelved copy to your workspace and opens it in the changelist of your choice. Unshelving does not remove files from the shelf.

To unshelve files in a pending changelist:

  1. Context-click the file changelist choose Unshelve....

    P4V displays the Unshelvedialog.

  2. Check the files you want to unshelve and click Unshelve and any other desired options.

    The shelved file is copied to your workspace and opened in the specified changelist.

To unshelve a file that was shelved by another user, you must have permission to check out the file. When you unshelve a file that was shelved by another user, it is copied to one of your changelists, from which you can edit and submit the file.

To unshelve a file into a different branch than the one it was shelved in:

  1. Select the Map unshelved files checkbox on the Unshelve dialog.

  2. Select the way you want to map the unshelved files to the target branch:

    • Using Branch Mapping: Enter the branch mapping you want to use, or browse for it.

      You can use any branch mapping that maps the branch the file was shelved in as either source or target. Your current workspace view must be mapped to the target.

    • Using Stream: Type or select the stream you want to use to unshelve.

      The stream must be the child in relation to the location of the files being unshelved. For example, if the files are shelved in a mainline and you want to unshelve into a development child, you must select the development child. Likewise, if the files are shelved in the development child and you want to unshelve into the mainline, you must select the development child. This still holds true if you reuse your workspace across streams. If you are working in the mainline and shelve some files, then move your workspace to the development child, you must still specify the development child stream to unshelve.

Submit shelved files

As of Perforce Server 2013.1, you can submit shelved files directly.

Note

If there are non-shelved files along with shelved files in a pending changelist, you must first revert the non-shelved files or move them to another changelist. You cannot submit shelved files from a task stream.

To submit shelved files in a pending changelist, context-click the changelist or shelved files folder and choose Submit Shelved Files...

Delete shelved files

Shelved files remain shelved until you delete them from the pending changelist. To delete a shelved file from a pending changelist, context-click the file and choose Delete. Alternately, context-click the pending changelist and choose Delete Shelved Files...