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 Open for edit... from the pulldown menu on the Files tab. This takes you to an Open for Edit Options page, described in more detail below.

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

The Open for Edit Options page

Selecting Open for edit... from the pulldown menu takes you to the initial Open for Edit page, where you select the options you want. Once you have selected your options, click the "Open for edit" 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 this page by clicking a directory and then selecting Open for edit... 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