clearexport_pvcs

Converts PVCS files to ClearCase elements

APPLICABILITY

ClearCase (administrative command)

SYNOPSIS

clearexport_pvcs [ -r ] [ -s date-time | -I { now | date-time } ]

[ -V ] [ -G ] [ -t temp-dir-pname ] [ -T translation-file ]
[ -o datafile-pname] [ source-name ... ]

DESCRIPTION

The clearexport_pvcs command processes PVCS files so they can be imported into ClearCase elements and versions. The source data for export can range from a single file to an entire directory tree.

During the export stage, you invoke clearexport_pvcs in the directory where the PVCS files reside. clearexport_pvcs creates a datafile (by default, named cvt_data) and places in it descriptions of elements, branches, and versions.

In the import stage, you invoke clearimport on the datafile to import information into the new VOB.

clearexport_pvcs ignores most information in PVCS files that is not related to version-tree structure. clearexport_pvcs converts each PVCS label, which names a revision or branch, into the appropriate ClearCase construct: version label or branch. (You can specify a translation file to control naming, enforcing consistency over multiple invocations of clearexport_pvcs.) You can use the -V option to preserve PVCS revision numbers as attributes of the corresponding ClearCase versions.

clearexport_pvcs and clearimport use ClearCase magic files to determine which element type to use for each element clearimport creates. For more information on magic files and file typing, see the cc.magic reference page.

NOTE: You cannot run clearexport_pvcs on UNIX and then run clearimport on Windows to import the data, or vice-versa. However, you can transfer data in either direction between UNIX and Windows by mounting the UNIX VOB or file-system on your Windows machine and running both clearexport_pvcs and clearimport on the Windows machine.

PVCS Files, Workfiles, and Locks

clearexport_pvcs works directly with PVCS files. It does not process the workfiles created with the get command. Be sure to check in workfiles with the put command before running the exporter.

clearexport_pvcs issues warning messages when it encounters checked-out files, but it still processes them. clearexport_pvcs ignores all PVCS locks.

If PVCS files are stored in VCS (or vcs; case is not important) subdirectories, clearexport_pvcs collapses the subdirectory level. For example, PVCS file .\proj\VCS\main.c,v becomes element .\proj\main.c.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS IN FILE NAMES

During import, clearimport invokes a shell to extract data from the datafile. clearimport can handle some, but not all, characters that are special to shells. Import fails for any file name that includes any of these characters:

`  '  "  <Tab>  [  ]  ?  *  %

For example:

Before running clearexport_pvcs, rename any file whose name contains these characters.

NOTE: If you specify datafile-pname or source-name and any of the names include spaces, you must enclose the name in double quotes. For example:

> clearexport_pvcs "src files"

HANDLING OF PVCS SYMBOLS

A PVCS symbol is a mnemonic name for a particular revision or branch of a PVCS file. clearexport_pvcs translates the symbols to version labels and branch names (more precisely, to names of label types and branch types).

• Translation to version labels - Suppose a PVCS symbol, RLS_1.3, names a revision, 3.5. clearexport_pvcs places a description of label type RLS_1.3 in the datafile, and clearimport imports that label type and assigns a label of that type to the appropriate ClearCase version.
• Translation to branch names - Suppose a PVCS symbol, rls_1.3_fixes, names a branch, 3.5.1. clearexport_pvcs outputs information about branch type rls_1.3_fixes, and clearimport creates a branch of that type at the appropriate ClearCase version.

Because there is no ClearCase concept of a subbranch of the main branch, clearexport_pvcs does not process single-digit symbols that name PVCS branches. If a PVCS symbol includes characters that are not valid in names of label types or branch types, clearexport_pvcs replaces the offending name. For example, the PVCS symbol C++ may be renamed to "C..".

A label type cannot have the same name as a branch type within the same VOB. If the same PVCS symbol names both a revision and a branch-not necessarily in the same PVCS file-clearexport_pvcs renames one of them. For example, after exporting a symbol FX354, which names a branch, it may encounter the same symbol as the name of a revision in another PVCS file. In this case, it creates label type FX354_1.

Translation File

Renaming PVCS symbols can introduce inconsistencies over multiple runs of clearexport_pvcs. The same symbol may be renamed during processing of some PVCS files, but not chang during processing of other files. You can enforce consistency by using the same translation file in multiple invocations of clearexport_pvcs. If you name such a file, using the -T option, clearexport_pvcs uses it as follows:

• To look up each PVCS symbol to see how to translate it to a ClearCase label type or branch type. If a match is found, the symbol is translated the same way.
• To record each translation of a new PVCS symbol, for use in future lookups.

The first time you use clearexport_pvcs, use -T to create a new translation file. On subsequent invocations of clearexport_pvcs, use -T again, specifying the same translation file, for consistent name translation.

The translation file consists of one or more lines in the following form:

{ label | branch } old-name new-name

For example, to rename the branch type pre_import_work to post_import_work and the label BL1.7 to IMPORT_BASE, the translation file contains the lines:

branch pre_import_work post_import_work
label BL1.7 IMPORT_BASE

No blank lines are allowed in the file.

HANDLING OF OBJECTS THAT CANNOT BE EXPORTED

When clearexport_pvcs encounters a file or directory that cannot be exported (for example, a file with format problems or a broken symbolic link), it prints an error and continues. After creating the data file, it prints a summary of the files and directories that could not be exported.

PERMISSIONS AND LOCKS

Permissions Checking: No special permissions required. Locks: No locks apply.

OPTIONS AND ARGUMENTS

HANDLING OF DIRECTORY ARGUMENTS.  Default: If you specify a directory as a source-name argument: (1) clearexport_pvcs processes the files in that directory but ignores the contents of the subdirectories; (2) clearimport creates a directory element for source-name and for each of its subdirectories.

-r

clearexport_pvcs descends recursively into all source-name arguments that are directories.

SELECTIVE CONVERSION OF FILES.  Default: clearexport_pvcs processes all files it encounters.

-s date-time

clearexport_pvcs processes only versions modified since the time specified. Use this option for regular, incremental updating of an element from a PVCS file that is still under development. Be sure to specify a date-time that covers the entire period since the preceding update. In other situations, it is better to use -I instead of -s.

clearexport_pvcs determines whether to process a PVCS archive by using the last-modified date/time of the archive. If this date/time is before the date-time you specify with -s, clearexport_pvcs does not process any of the revisions in the archive. If the date/time is after the date-time you specify, clearexport_pvcs processes the following revisions:

NOTE: In an incremental updating situation, if you remove a label or branch from a PVCS version, clearimport does not remove the label or branch from the ClearCase element.

Specify the time in one of the following formats:

date.time | date | time | now
where:

Specify time in 24-hour format, relative to the local time zone. If you omit the time, the default value is 00:00:00. If you omit date, the default is today. If you omit the century, year, or a specific date, the most recent one is used. Specify UTC if you want ClearCase to resolve the time to the same moment in time regardless of time zone. Use the plus (+) or minus (-) operator to specify a positive or negative offset to the UTC time. If you specify UTC without hour or minute offsets, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is used. (Dates before January 1, 1970 Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) are invalid.)

-I { now | date-time }

Processes important versions only, but includes all versions created since the specified time. A version is important if any of these conditions is true:

PRESERVATION OF PVCS INFORMATION AS ATTRIBUTES.  Default: clearexport_pvcs does not attach attributes to versions exported from PVCS revisions.

-V

Attaches an attribute of type PVCS_REVISION to each newly created version. The string value of the attribute is the PVCS revision number of the exported revision. (clearimport creates attribute type PVCS_REVISION, if necessary.)

If you use the -s option with this option, clearimport attaches PVCS_REVISION attributes only to revisions created after the date-time you specified.

Each attribute requires about 1 KB of storage in the VOB database.

-G

If a PVCS revision has a promotion group, attaches an attribute of type PVCS_GROUP to the newly created version. The string value of the attribute is the promotion group of the exported revision. (clearimport creates attribute type PVCS_GROUP, if necessary.)

If you use the -s option with this option, clearimport attaches PVCS_GROUP attributes only to revisions created after the date-time you specified.

Each attribute requires about 1 KB of storage in the VOB database.

DIRECTORY FOR TEMPORARY FILES. Default: clearexport_pvcs uses the value of the TMP environment variable as the directory for temporary files.

-t temp-dir-pname

Specifies an alternate directory for temporary files. This directory must already exist.

TRANSLATION OF BRANCHES AND LABELS.  Default: As described in the section HANDLING OF PVCS SYMBOLS, clearexport_pvcs may rename a branch or label type to avoid naming conflicts.

-T translation-file

Uses the specified translation file to control and record the conversion of PVCS symbols to version labels and branch names.

STORAGE LOCATION OF DATAFILE.  Default: clearexport_pvcs creates datafile cvt_data in the current working directory.

-o datafile-pname

Stores the datafile at the specified location. An error occurs if datafile already exists.

SPECIFYING FILES TO BE EXPORTED.  Default: clearexport_pvcs processes the current working directory (equivalent to specifying "."as the source-name argument). clearimport creates an element in the new VOB for each element in the current working directory. clearimport creates a directory element in the new VOB for each subdirectory of the current working directory (except one named PVCS or pvcs).

source-name ...

One or more pathnames, specifying PVCS files and/or directories:

Each source-name must be a simple file or directory name. This enables clearimport to reliably access the source data when it is executed. Specifying the parent directory (..) causes an error, as does specifying any pathname that includes a backslash (\) character.

Thus, before entering this command, have the directory in or under which the elements to be exported reside.

EXAMPLES

• Create entries in the datafile for the entire tree under directory element src, exporting important versions created before 1999 and all versions created since the beginning of 1999.

c:\> clearexport_pvcs -r -I 1-Jan-1999 src

• Create entries in the datafile for the elements in the current working directory, but not in any subdirectories; store the datafile in a file named newcvt.

c:\> clearexport_pvcs -o newcvt .

SEE ALSO

clearexport_*, clearimport, events_ccase, relocate