Perforce 2009.1: Command Reference

p4 branch

Synopsis

Create or edit a branch specification and its view.

Syntax

p4 [g-opts] branch [ -f ] branchspec
p4 [g-opts] branch -o branchspec
p4 [g-opts] branch -d [ -f ] branchspec
p4 [g-opts] branch -i [ -f ]

Description

p4 branch enables you to construct a mapping between two sets of files for use with p4 integrate. A branch view defines the relationship between the files you're integrating from (the fromFiles) and the files you're integrating to (the toFiles). Both sides of the view are specified in depot syntax.

Once you have named and created a branch specification, integrate files by typing p4 integrate -b branchname; the branch specification automatically maps all toFiles to their corresponding fromFiles.

Saving a p4 branch form has no immediate effect on any files in the depot or your client workspace; you must call p4 integrate -b branchspecname to create the branched files in your workspace and to open the files in a changelist.

Form Fields

Field Name	Type	Description
Branch:	read-only	The branch name, as provided on the command line.
Owner:	mandatory	The owner of the branch specification. By default, this will be set to the user who created the branch. This field is unimportant unless the Option: field value is locked.
Access:	read-only	The date the branch specification was last accessed.
Update:	read-only	The date the branch specification was last changed.
Options:	mandatory	Either unlocked (the default) or locked. If locked, only the Owner: can modify the branch spec, and the spec can't be deleted until it is unlocked.
Description:	optional	A short description of the branch's purpose.
View:	mandatory	A set of mappings from one set of files in the depot (the source files) to another set of files in the depot (the target files). The view maps from one location in the depot to another; it can't refer to a client workspace. For example, the branch view //depot/main/... //depot/r2.1/... maps all the files under //depot/main to //depot/r2.1.

Options

-d	Delete the named branch specification. Files are not affected by this operation; only the stored mapping from one codeline to another is deleted. Normally, only the user who created the branch can use this flag.
-f	Force flag. Combined with -d, allows Perforce administrators to delete branches they don't own. Also allows administrators to change the modification date of the branch specification (the Update: field is writable when using the -f flag).
-i	Read the branch specification from standard input without invoking an editor.
-o	Write the branch specification to standard output without invoking an editor.
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
N/A	N/A	open

•

A branch view defines the relationship between two related codelines. For example, if the development files for a project are stored under //depot/project/dev/..., and you want to create a related codeline for the 2.0 release of the project under //depot/project/r2.0/..., specify the branch view as:

//depot/project/dev/... //depot/project/r2.0/...

Branch views may contain multiple mappings. See the Views chapter for more information on specifying views.

•	If a path or file name contains spaces, use quotes around the path. For instance:

//depot/project/dev/... "//depot/project/release 2.0/..."

•	Branch views can also be used with p4 diff2 with the syntax p4 diff2 -b branchname fromFiles. This will diff the files that match the pattern fromFiles against their corresponding toFiles as defined in the branch view.

Related Commands

To view a list of existing branch specifications	p4 branches
To copy changes from one set of files to another	p4 integrate
To view differences between two codelines	p4 diff2