Opening Files for Edit

When Perforce puts files in your workspace, it normally gives them read-only permission to start with. (See the sync command to find out how to get files into your workspace.) The open for edit command makes files writable so you can edit them, and puts them in a pending changelist so you can submit them later. The "" icon reminds you when you have files open for edit.

You can open files for edit by:

• Choosing Run->Open for edit... in the control panel of the Path Browser or the File Browser. This takes you to an Edit Options page, described in more detail below.

• Clicking the "Open for edit" shortcut button on the File Browser page. This opens the current file immediately, putting it in the default changelist and without changing its filetype.

The Edit Options Page

Run->Open for edit... takes you to an Edit Options page. Select the options you want and click the command button to open files for edit. You can chose from these options:

Open using filetype

Use this option to change the filetype of Perforce-managed files. Click the checkbox and enter the new filetype in the input field. When you submit files opened this way, the new revisions in the depot will have the new filetype.

Put open files in changelist

If your client workspace has more than one pending changelist, this option is available to let you select the changelist into which opened files appear.

Restricting files

If you came to the Edit Options page via the Path Browser, you can restrict the files to be opened.

Regardless of which files you select, a file will only be opened for edit if all of the following conditions are true:

• The file is not already opened in your workspace
• The file is synced in your workspace
• You have permission to open the file