Implementing site-wide exclusive locking with p4 typemap

By default, Helix Server supports concurrent development. However, environments in which only one person is expected to have a file open for edit at a time can implement site-wide exclusive locking by using the +l (exclusive open) modifier as a partial filetype.

If you use the following typemap, the +l modifier is automatically applied to all newly added files in the depot:

Typemap:
        +l //depot/...

If you use this typemap,

  • any file your users add to the depot after you update your typemap automatically has the +l modifier applied

  • at any given time, only one user can have the file opened

The typemap table applies only to new additions to the depot:

  • after you update the typemap table for site-wide exclusive open, files previously submitted without +l must be opened for edit with p4 edit -t+l filename and resubmitted

  • similarly, users with files already open for edit must update their filetypes with p4 reopen -t+l filename