ClearCase Reference Manual, Release 4.0, Windows

chtype

Changes the type of an element or renames a branch

APPLICABILITY

ClearCase (cleartool subcommand), Attache (command)

SYNOPSIS

chtype [ -c·omment comment | -cfi·le comment-file-pname |-cq·uery | -cqe·ach | -nc·omment ]: [ -f·orce ] type-selector { [ -pna·me ] pname ... | object-selector ... }

DESCRIPTION

The chtype command changes the element type of one or more existing elements or renames one or more existing branches. These operations involve changing the type object associated with the element or branch.

Changing an Element'sType

You can use chtype to convert an element from one element type to another (for example, from file to text_file). Typically, you change an element's type to change the way its versions are stored. For example, versions of a file element are stored in separate data containers in a VOB source pool. Converting the element to type text_file causes all its versions to be stored in a single data container, as a set of deltas (version-to-version differences); this saves disk space.

Restrictions. All versions of an element must fit the new element type. For example, converting an element to type text_file fails if any of its versions contains binary data, rather than text. You cannot convert files to directories, and vice versa.

Renaming a Branch

You can use chtype to rename a branch (for example, from bugfix to maintenance). ClearCase implements a branch as an instance of a branch type object. Thus, "change the branch from A to B" actually means "change the branch from an instance of branch type A to an instance of branch type B."

NOTE: Don't confuse the renaming of a particular branch (chtype) with the renaming of a branch type (rename). Figure 3 illustrates the difference.

Figure 3 Renaming a Branch vs. Renaming a Branch Type

PERMISSIONS AND LOCKS

Permissions Checking: For each object processed, you must be one of the following:

Element type:	Element owner, VOB owner, member of the ClearCase group
Branch type:	Branch creator, element owner, VOB owner, member of the ClearCase group

See the permissions reference page.

Locks: An error occurs if any of the following objects are locked:

Element type:	VOB, element type, element, pool
Branch type:	VOB, element type, element, branch type, branch.
Activity type:	VOB, activity type, activity

See also the permissions reference page.

OPTIONS AND ARGUMENTS

EVENT RECORDS AND COMMENTS. Default: Creates one or more event records, with commenting controlled by your .clearcase_profile file (default: -nc). See CUSTOMIZING COMMENT HANDLING in 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.

CONFIRMATION STEP. Default: chtype prompts for confirmation if changing an element's type will change the way its versions are stored in the VOB storage pool.

-f·orce: Suppresses the confirmation step.

SPECIFYING THE NEW TYPE. Default: None.

type-selector: An element type or branch type. The type must already exist. (Exception: If you specify a global element type or global branch type, ClearCase creates a local copy of the type if one does not already exist.) Specify type-selector in the form [type-kind:]type-name[@vob-selector]

`type-kind`	One of brtype branch type eltype element type actype activity type
`type-name`	Name of the type object
`vob-selector`	Object-selector for a VOB, in the form [vob:]`pname-in-vob`. The `pname-in-vob` can be the pathname of the VOB-tag (whether or not the VOB is mounted) or of any file-system object within the VOB (if the VOB is mounted)

SPECIFYING THE ELEMENTS, BRANCHES, OR ACTIVITIES. Default: None.

[ -pna·me ] pname ...: One or more pathnames, each of which specifies a file or directory element. A standard pathname is valid; you need not append the extended naming symbol. That is, specifying a version is equivalent to specifying its element. Specifying a branch (for example, foo.c@@\main\bugfix causes an error.

: If pname has the form of an object selector (for example, eltype:fl2), you must use the -pname option to indicate that it is a pathname.

object-selector ...: The object-selector arguments can be one of the following:

One or more extended pathnames, each of which specifies a particular branch of an element. For example:
	`foo.c@@\main\bugfix bar.c@@\main\maint\bug405`

One or more activities. Specify `activity-selector` in the form activity:`activity-name`[@`vob-selector`]
	`activity-name`	Name of the activity

EXAMPLES

Examples including 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 command interpreter prompt. In cleartool interactive mode, cmd-context represents the interactive cleartool prompt. In Attache, cmd-context represents the workspace prompt.

Convert an element to type file.

cmd-context chtype file hello.c

Change version manager and reconstruct all versions for "hello.c"? [no] yes Changed type of element "hello.c" to "file".

Change branch rel2_bugfix to branch maintenance, providing a comment.

cmd-context chtype -c "rel2_bugfix no longer in use" maintenance util.c@@\main\rel2_bugfix

Changed type of branch "util.c@@\main\rel2_bugfix" to "maintenance".

Convert a library to compressed_file format, suppressing confirmation prompts.

cmd-context chtype -force compressed_file libutil.lib

Changed type of element "libutil.lib" to "compressed_file".