Rational ClearCase Commands Referenceannotate
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SYNOPSIS
- On
UNIX:
- merge { –out output-pname | –to contrib-&-result-pname }
- [ –g·raphical [ –tin·y ]
| –tin·y | –win·dow ]
[ –ser·ial_format | –dif·f_format | –col·umns n ] ]
[ –bas·e pname | –ins·ert | –del·ete ]
[ –nda·ta | –nar·rows ] [ –rep·lace ]
[ –q·uery |–abo·rt | –qal·l ]
[ –c·omment comment | –cfi·le comment-file-pname | –cq·uery
| –cqe·ach | –nc·omment ] [ –opt·ions pass-through-options ]
{ –ver·sion contrib-version-selector ... | contrib-pname ... }
- On
Windows:
- merge { –out output-pname | –to contrib-&-result-pname }
- [ –g·raphical [ –tin·y ]
| [ –ser·ial_format | –dif·f_format
| –col·umns n ] ]
[ –bas·e pname | –ins·ert | –del·ete ] [ –nda·ta | –nar·rows ]
[ –rep·lace ] [ –q·uery | –abo·rt | –qal·l ]
[ –c·omment comment | –cfi·le comment-file-pname | –cq·uery
| –cqe·ach| –nc·omment ] [ –opt·ions pass-through-options ]
{ –ver·sion contrib-version-selector ... | contrib-pname ... }
DESCRIPTION
The merge command calls an element-type-specific program (the merge method) to merge the contents of two or more files, or two or more directories. Typically the files are versions of the same file element. A directory merge must involve versions of the same directory element.
When used to merge directory versions in a snapshot view, this command also updates the directory (and subdirectories, if necessary). (See update.)
You can also perform a subtractive merge, which removes from a version the changes made in one or more of its predecessors.
merge uses the type manager mechanism to select a merge method. For details, see the type_manager reference page. merge methods are supplied only for certain element types.
RESTRICTIONS
Identities
For all operations except creating a merge arrow, no special identity is required. To create a merge arrow, you must have one of the following identities:
OPTIONS AND ARGUMENTS
Destination of Merge Output
- Default
- None.
- –out output-pname
- Specifies a view-private or non-MVFS file
to be the merge target. output-pname is not used
as a contributor, and no merge arrows are created. Use this option to perform
a merge that does not overwrite any of its contributors. An error occurs if output-pname already
exists.
- –to contrib-&-result-pname
- Specifies a version of a file or directory
element to be the merge target: one of the contributors to the merge, and
also the location where the merged output is stored. merge proceeds
as follows:
- Preserves the target's current
contents in view-private file contrib-&-result-pname.contrib.
The file name may get a .n extension, to prevent
a name collision.
- Stores
the merged output in contrib-&-result-pname.
You can suppress these data-manipulation steps by using –ndata; you must do so to avoid an error if the file is not checked out:
cleartool: Error: ...
Only a checked out version can be modified to have the data
resulting from the merge - Creates
a merge arrow (hyperlink of type Merge) from all
other contributors to the checked-out version. You can suppress this step
by using the –narrows option.
If the merge target cannot be overwritten, merge saves its work in the view-private file contrib-&-result-pname.merge. The file name may have a .n extension, to prevent a name collision.
- Preserves the target's current
contents in view-private file contrib-&-result-pname.contrib.
The file name may get a .n extension, to prevent
a name collision.
Performing a Graphical Merge
Note: When merging files of type html, if the machine on which you execute merge –graphical is not the machine on which you run your HTML browser, your browser may not be able to find the pathname to the files being merged.
Using a Separate Window
- Default
- Sends output to the current window.
- –tin·y
- Same as –window, but
uses a smaller font in a 165-character window.
- –win·dow
- Displays output in a separate window, formatted
as with –columns 120. Type
an operating system interrupt character (typically CTRL+C)
in the window to close it. The merge command
returns immediately, not waiting for the window to be closed.
Output Format
- Default
- Displays output in the format described in
the diff reference page.
- –ser·ial_format
- Reports differences with each line containing
output from one contributor, instead of in a side-by-side format.
- –dif·f_format
- Displays output in the same style as the UNIX diff(1) utility.
- –col·umns n
- Establishes the overall width of side-by-side
output. The default width is 80; only the first 40 or so characters of corresponding
difference lines appear. If n does not exceed the
default width, this option is ignored.
Specifying the Base Contributor
- Default
- If all contributors are versions of the same
element, this command determines the base contributor. If all contributors
are not versions of the same element, there is no base contributor and you
must resolve discrepancies among the contributors.
- –bas·e pname
- Specifies pname as
the base contributor for the merge. You cannot use the –version option
to specify this argument; use a version-extended pathname.
Specifying Special Merges
- Default
- A standard merge is performed: all the differences
between the base contributor and each nonbase contributor are taken into account.
- –ins·ert
- Invokes a selective merge of the changes made
in one or more versions. If you specify one contributor with –version or
a pname argument, only that version's changes are
merged. Specifying two contributors defines an inclusive range of versions;
only the changes made in that range of versions are merged.
No merge arrow is created in a selective merge.
Restrictions: You must specify the target version with the –to option. No version specified with –version or a pname argument can be a predecessor of the target version.
- –del·ete
- Invokes a subtractive merge of the changes
made in one or more versions on the same branch. If you specify one contributor
with –version or a pname argument,
only that version's changes are removed. Specifying two contributors defines
an inclusive range of versions; only the changes made in that range of versions
are removed.
No merge arrow is created in a subtractive merge.
Restrictions: You must specify the target version with the –to option. All versions specified with –version or a pname argument must be same-branch predecessors of the target version.
Suppressing Parts of the Merge Process
- Default
- merge stores its results
in the location specified by –to or –out;
with –to, it also creates merge arrows.
- –nda·ta
- (Use only with –to)
Suppresses the merge, but creates the corresponding merge arrows. An error
occurs if you use –ndata along with –out;
together, the two options leave merge with no work to do.
- –nar·rows
- (For use with –to;
invoked by –out) Performs the merge, but suppresses
the creation of merge arrows.
Controlling User Interaction
- Default
- Works as automatically as possible, prompting
you to make a choice only when two or more non-base contributors differ from
the base contributor.
- –q·uery
- Turns off automatic merging for nontrivial
merges and prompts you to proceed with every change in the from-versions.
Changes in the to-version are automatically accepted unless a conflict exists.
When you specify the –out option, cleartool uses
the last pathname on the command line as the to-version.
- –abo·rt
- Cancels the command instead of engaging in
a user interaction; a merge takes place only if it is completely automatic.
If two or more nonbase contributors differ from the base contributor, a warning
is issued and the command is canceled. This command is useful in shell scripts
that batch many merges (for example, all file elements in a directory) into
a single procedure.
- –qal·l
- Turns off automated merging. merge prompts
you to make a choice every time a nonbase contributor differs from the base
contributor. This option is turned on automatically if merge cannot
determine a common ancestor (or other base contributor), and you do not use –base.
Specifying a Comment for the Merge Arrow
- Default
- Attaches a comment to each merge arrow (hyperlink
of type Merge) with commenting controlled by your .clearcase_profile file
(default: –nc). See the comments reference
page. Comments can be edited with chevent.
- –c·omment comment | –cfi·le comment-file-pname |–cq·uery | –cqe·ach | –nc·omment
- Overrides the default with the option you
specify. See the comments reference page.
Passing Through Options to the merge Method
- Default
- Does not pass any special options to the underlying merge method
(implemented by the cleardiff utility for
all predefined element types).
- –opt·ions pass-through-options
- Allows you to specify merge options
that are not directly supported on the merge command line.
If you are specifying more than one pass-through option, enclose them in quotes; merge must see them as a single command-line argument.
For descriptions of the valid options, see the cleardiff reference page.
For example, this cleartool command passes through the –quiet and –blank_ignore options:
Specifying the Data to Be Merged
- Default
- None.
- –ver·sion contrib-version-selector ...
- (For use only if all contributors are versions
of the same element) If you use the –to option to specify
one contributor, you can specify the others with –ver followed
by one or more version selectors. (See the version_selector reference
page.)
- contrib-pname ...
- One or more pathnames, indicating the objects
to be merged: versions of file elements, versions of directory elements, or
any other files. If you don't use –to, you must specify
at least two contrib-pname arguments.
These two commands are equivalent:
EXAMPLES
The UNIX examples in this section are written for use in csh. If you use another shell, you may need to use different quoting and escaping conventions.
The Windows examples that include wildcards or quoting are written for use in cleartool interactive mode. If you use cleartool single-command mode, you may need to change the wildcards and quoting to make your command interpreter process the command appropriately.
In cleartool single-command mode, cmd-context represents the UNIX shell or Windows command interpreter prompt, followed by the cleartool command. In cleartool interactive mode, cmd-context represents the interactive cleartool prompt.
- Merge the version of file util.c in the current view with the most recent versions on the rel2_bugfix and test branches; suppress the creation of merge arrows.
- Merge the version of file util.c, in view jk_fix, to version 3 on the main branch, placing the merged output in a temporary file.
- Merge the version of file util.c to version 3 on the main branch, placing the merged output in a temporary file.
- Subtractive merge: remove the changes made in version 3 from file util.c.