Can I integrate checked out files into a different branch on perforce

Question

We were working on a design, and for that we created the skeleton of the classes in our main branch. Now, we are starting to code, and for that we got a new branch. So, it would be nice if I can move all the new files in the main branch into the new branch. However, I cannot check them in yet. So, is it possible to integrate the checked out changelist? Thanks.

Answer 1

The Perforce support web site explains how to do this: Perforce Knowledge Base: Branching work in progress. It would be nicer if it was a single step that didn't require running eight different commands.

Answer 2

Since release 2013.1, the way to branch work in progress is to shelve the work and unshelve it on the branch. In detail:

1. Shelve your outstanding changes:

   $ p4 shelve ...
   Change 182535 created with 10 open file(s).
   Shelving files for change 182535.
   edit //info.ravenbrook.com/project/mps/master/code/arenavm.c#26
   # etc.
   

2. Unshelve them on the branch (using the -b option, which maps the file name through a branch specification):

   $ p4 unshelve -b mps/branch/2013-06-05/diag -s 182535
   ... //info.ravenbrook.com/project/mps/branch/2013-06-05/diag/code/arenavm.c - must resolve //info.ravenbrook.com/project/mps/master/code/arenavm.c@=182535 before submitting
   # etc.
   

3. Resolve any merges resulting from the unshelve, using p4 resolve -as to quickly do the "safe" ones, and then doing the rest with p4 resolve as usual.

   $ p4 resolve -as
   //gdr-peewit/info.ravenbrook.com/project/mps/branch/2013-06-05/diag/code/arenavm.c - copy from //info.ravenbrook.com/project/mps/master/code/arenavm.c
   # etc.
   $ p4 resolve
   No file(s) to resolve.
   

(The example output is from a real use case I ran just now.)