ClearCase Reference Manual, Release 4.0, Windows

mkbranch

Creates a new branch in the version tree of an element

APPLICABILITY

ClearCase (cleartool subcommand), Attache (command)

SYNOPSIS

mkbranch [ -c·omment comment | -cfi·le comment-file-pname |-cq·uery: | -cqe·ach | -nc·omment ] [ -nwa·rn ]
[ -nco ] [ -ver·sion version-selector ] branch-type-selector pname ...

DESCRIPTION

The mkbranch command creates a new branch in the version trees of one or more elements. The new branch is checked out, unless you use the -nco option. In Attache, after the command is executed, any files checked out successfully are downloaded to the workspace.

Auto-Make-Branch

The checkout command sometimes invokes mkbranch automatically. If the view's version of an element is selected by a config spec rule with a -mkbranch branch-type clause, checkout does the following:

Creates a branch of type branch-type.
Checks out (version 0 on) the newly created branch.

Similarly, entering a mkbranch command explicitly can invoke one or more additional branch-creation operations. See Multiple-Level Auto-Make-Branch in the checkout reference page.

PERMISSIONS AND LOCKS

Permissions Checking: For each object processed, you must be one of the following: element group member, 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: VOB, element type, branch type, element, pool (nondirectory elements only).

OPTIONS AND ARGUMENTS

EVENT RECORDS AND COMMENTS. Default: Creates one or more event records, with commenting controlled by your .clearcase_profile file (default: -cqe). 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.

SUPPRESSING WARNING MESSAGES Default: Warning messages are displayed.

-nwa·rn: Suppresses warning messages.

CHECKOUT OF THE NEW BRANCH. Default: The newly created branch is checked out. Additional checkouts may ensue; see the Auto-Make-Branch section.

-nco: Suppresses automatic checkout of the branch. In Attache, this option also suppresses downloading of the files to the workspace.

SPECIFYING THE BRANCH TYPE. Default: None.

branch-type-selector: An existing branch type, previously created with mkbrtype. The branch type must exist in each VOB in which you are creating a branch, or (if branch-type-selector is a global type) in the Admin VOB hierarchy associated with each VOB. Specify branch-type-selector in the form [brtype:]type-name[@vob-selector]

type-name

Name of the branch type

See the Object Names section in the cleartool reference page for rules about composing names.

vob-selector

VOB specifier

pname-in-vob

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 BRANCH POINTS. Default: None.

-ver·sion version-selector: For each pname, creates the branch at the version specified by version-selector. This option overrides both version-selection by the view and version-extended naming. See the version_selector reference page for syntax details.

pname ...: One or more pathnames, indicating the versions at which branches are to be created.

A standard or view-extended pathname to an element specifies the version in the view.

A version-extended pathname specifies a version, independent of view.

: Use -version to override these interpretations of pname.

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.

Create a branch type named bugfix. Then, set a view drive (in Attache, a workspace) with a config spec that prefers versions on the bugfix branch, and create a branch of that type in file util.h.

cmd-context mkbrtype -c "bugfixing branch" bugfix

Created branch type "bugfix".

> net use y: \\view\smg_bugfix (ClearCase only) ... > y:

cmd-context setws smg_bugfix (Attache only)

cmd-context mkbranch -nc bugfix util.h

Created branch "bugfix" from "util.h" version "\main\1". Checked out "util.h" from version "\main\bugfix\0".

Create a branch named rel2_bugfix off the version of hello.c in the view, and check out the initial version on the branch.

cmd-context mkbranch -nc rel2_bugfix hello.c

Created branch "rel2_bugfix" from "hello.c" version "\main\4". Checked out "hello.c" from version "\main\rel2_bugfix\0".

Create a branch named maintenance off version \main\1 of file util.c. Do not check out the initial version on the branch.

cmd-context mkbranch -version \main\1 -nco -nc maintenance util.c

Created branch "maintenance" from "util.c" version "\main\1".

Create a branch named bugfix off version \main\3 of file hello.c, and check out the initial version on the branch. Use a version-extended pathname to specify the version.

cmd-context mkbranch -nc bugfix hello.c@@\main\3 Created branch "bugfix" from "hello.c" version "\main\3 Checked out "hello.c" from version "\main\bugfix\0".

For each file with a .c extension, create a branch named patch2 at the currently selected version, but do not check out the initial version on the new branch. Provide a comment on the command line.

cmd-context mkbranch -nco -c "release 2 code patches" patch2 *.c

Created branch "patch2" from "cm_add.c" version "\main\1". Created branch "patch2" from "cm_fill.c" version "\main\3". Created branch "patch2" from "msg.c" version "\main\2". Created branch "patch2" from "util.c" version "\main\1".