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<h1>BranchView functions<a name="top"></a></h1>
<blockquote>
<h2><a href="#compact"> General representation of version information</a></h2>
<h2><a href="#expanded">Representation of extended version information</a></h2>
<h2><a href="#functions">Funktions table</a> </h2>
<h2><a href="#menu">Menu: examples</a></h2>
<h2><a href="#mouse">Mouse usage: short overview</a></h2>
<h2><a href="#keyboard">Keyboard usage: short overview</a></h2>
<h2><a href="../BranchViewWrapper.html">BranchView plugin for Eclipse</a></h2>
<h2><br>
Representation of version information<a name="compact"></a></h2>
<p>What BranchView shows is closely depend on BranchView configuration.</p>
<p>If BranchView were started with default configuration, information about all revisions from all
branches, which P4 Client can offer to selected file/directory, is gotten. For the designed example
file //depot/perforce/testroot/itest/Test.java it looks in such a way:</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tr>
<td><img src="../images/p4_explore_all.gif" width="429" height="356"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fig. 1: Representation after the start with default configuration</td>
</tr>
</table>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Each revision is represented by a grey filled, black bordered rectangle.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Over the upper revision stands the shortened P4 depot path of the file.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>In the rectangle is painted the revision number and besides the change
number.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The fact that the revisions are black bordered means that BranchView
has all revision information.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Some revisions has arrows go off, which refer to other revisions from
same branch (green) or the other branch (blue or red).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The kind of the connection (branch, edit, merge etc..) is placed over
the arrows.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>If you starts BranchView for some files in depot without to have permissions to see them, following
picture would be shown:</p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<tr>
<td><img src="../images/p4_explore_one.gif" width="429" height="356"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fig. 2: Representation after the start without permissions for some files in P4 depot</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>The difference: fewer revisions are represented, some are orange and dotted,
other red bordered.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>In addition the red bordered revisions contain no change number, instead a question mark.
That is, that "the red" revisions known "indirectly" and the information,
which P4 supplied, contains still no change number.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>"The orange" revisions contain all information about itself, but possibly further
information about the following revisions from the same branch is missing.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>As is the case for "the red", the information about "the orange" revisions
came on indirect way.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you 2x click on one of these revisions, then missing information will be gotten by Perforce
and represented as in the Fig. 1.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>If you close now BranchView and starts in the "-offline" mode, the program tries to load
and show the old log file. Since the information is now only "second-hand", BranchView
draws all versions with orange dotted borders.</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tr>
<td><img src="../images/p4_explore_offline.gif" width="513" height="356"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fig. 3: Representation after the start only with "-offline" parameter </td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>And in the next picture all kinds of the relations are represented, which BranchView
knows: <span class="code">branch, copy, ignored, merge, edit, integrate, delete</span>.
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>The program shows the revisions, which are deleted, red through-crossed.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The arrows to revisions, which with were "ignored", are red.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The pulled through lines mean that it exist a direct relationship between
the connected revisions.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Dotted grey lines mean only the affiliation of the versions to the
same Branch.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tr>
<td><img src="../images/p4_branch_ignored_copy_merg.gif" width="594" height="475"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fig. 4: Further characteristics of the representation (after the start with default configuration)</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p> </p>
<h2>Representation of extended version information<a name="expanded"></a> </h2>
<p>BranchView can represent much more then the information shown already. If you
goes with the mouse over one of the revisions, BranchView draws a "ToolTip",
that contains extended information about the revision:</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tr>
<td><img src="../images/p4_explore_tipps_after.gif" width="537" height="289"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fig. 5: Representation of the extended information about a "well-known"
revision</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p> </p>
<h2>Function table<a name="functions"></a></h2>
<p>There are many functions, which are reachable on three different ways: by mouse,
keyboard or two menus, which appear by 1x right click on the background or
revision. For nearly each function an appropriate menu entry exists.</p>
<p>BranchView offers two different context sensitive menus: one for the general
operations and one, which is revision-depend. If a menu option is not activated
(light grey), it means that this operation is not possible in the current
context.</p>
<table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="3" bgcolor="#E5E5E5">
<tr>
<td width="14%" bgcolor="#E5E5E5"><b>Menu name</b></td>
<td width="37%" bgcolor="#E5E5E5"><b>Description of the function</b></td>
<td width="33%" bgcolor="#E5E5E5"><b>Characteristics /<br>
enabled if</b></td>
<td width="16%" bgcolor="#E5E5E5"><b>Shortcut or mouse usage</b></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td colspan="4"><br>
<b>Special revision - menu</b></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>collapse/expand this branch</b></td>
<td width="37%">Make less/more space between "uninteresting"
revisions.</td>
<td width="33%">One revision must be clicked.</td>
<td width="16%">-</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>get info's for this branch</b></td>
<td width="37%">Fetch information about the selected branch from Perforce.</td>
<td width="33%"> One as "unknown" represented revision must
be clicked.</td>
<td width="16%">2x left click</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>diff to...</b></td>
<td width="37%">
<p>Mouse: by marking of the two versions one after then other a custom
configured Diff tool is automatically started.</p>
<p>Menu: a help dialog shows.</p>
</td>
<td width="33%">
<p>In the "offline" - mode not available.</p>
<p>"deleted" revision cannot be compared with another.</p>
</td>
<td width="16%">1x left click on "from" - revision and then
1x left click on "to" - revision</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>copy path to clipboard</b></td>
<td width="37%">Copies P4 depot path of the selected version into the
clipboard.</td>
<td width="33%">
<p>One revision must be select/clicked.</p>
</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + C</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>copy data to clipboard</b></td>
<td width="37%">Copies information about the selected version into the
clipboard.</td>
<td width="33%"> <p>One revision must be select/clicked.</p>
</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + D</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td colspan="4"> <b><br>
General menu</b></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>save as image(s) + html...</b></td>
<td width="37%">Shows a dialog to store the entire view as a set GIF -
pictures with one overview HTML file.</td>
<td width="33%">Needs a lot of time.</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + S</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>save data to file...</b></td>
<td width="37%">Shows a dialog to store the entire received data into
log file.</td>
<td width="33%">This file will contain text data, formatted like data
from:<br>
"p4.exe -s filelog -l -i".</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + T</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>copy data to clipboard</b></td>
<td width="37%">Copies the entire received data into the clipboard.</td>
<td width="33%">Only if nothing selected.</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + D</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>set properties...</b></td>
<td width="37%">Open a properties dialog.</td>
<td width="33%">Setted properties are valid for all opened BranchView
windows.</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + P</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>clone view / open new window</b></td>
<td width="37%">Open a new window with the same view.</td>
<td width="33%"> </td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + N</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>view another depot file...</b></td>
<td width="37%">
<p>Menu: open a dialog to select a new depot file to show in the same
window.</p>
<p>Keyboard: the possible path information from the clipboard will
be evaluated. This path information will be used to retrieve new
data from P4 and to show in the same window.</p>
</td>
<td width="33%">
<p>Selecting directory with lot of files can lead to OutOfMemoryError (~by over then 300
revisions).</p>
<p>Don't working, if clipboard contains invalid path or path is not
under client's root.</p>
</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + V</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>load view from logfile...</b></td>
<td width="37%">
<p> Shows a "open" dialog. You can select file, that contains
previously stored BranchView log. View data will be reloaded with
information from this file.</p>
</td>
<td width="33%">
<p>The file must contains text data, formatted like data from:<br>
"p4.exe -s filelog -l -i".</p>
</td>
<td width="16%">Strg + L</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>redo layout</b></td>
<td width="37%">Redo layout. All custom user layout changes will be lost.</td>
<td width="33%"> </td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + R</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>collapse/expand all branches</b></td>
<td width="37%">Make less/more space between "uninteresting"
revisions (like edit->edit...->edit->edit in the same branch).</td>
<td width="33%">One revision must be clicked.</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + E</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>get info's over all branches</b></td>
<td width="37%">Fetch information about all branches, which are currently
not "well-known" </td>
<td width="33%">it must be at least one "unknown" revision</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + I</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>zoom</b></td>
<td width="37%">Increase / decrease view zoom.</td>
<td width="33%">
<p>Can lead to OutOfMemoryError by over then 300 revisions.</p>
</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + '+' zoom in, Ctrl + '-' zoom out</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>x space</b></td>
<td width="37%">Increase / decrease the distance between the branches
in the view.</td>
<td width="33%">Can lead to OutOfMemoryError by over then 300 revisions.</td>
<td width="16%">-</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>y space</b></td>
<td width="37%">Increase / decrease the distance between the changes in
the view.</td>
<td width="33%">Can lead to OutOfMemoryError by over then 300 revisions.</td>
<td width="16%">-</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>help</b></td>
<td width="37%">Shows short online help.</td>
<td width="33%"> </td>
<td width="16%">F1</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td width="14%"><b>about</b></td>
<td width="37%">Shows some information about the system, Java runtime environment, BranchView
version etc.</td>
<td width="33%">If you submit a bug, please copy this information to your message. You can
simply select all information from about screen with mouse and then copy selected data
to clipboard.</td>
<td width="16%">Ctrl + A</td>
</tr>
</table>
<h2> </h2>
<h2>Menu: examples<a name="menu"></a></h2>
<p>Here the information about all branches is already complete and therefore menu entry for requesting
the data from Perforce is deactivated.</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tr>
<td><img src="../images/p4_menu_copy.gif" alt="Menu if information about all branches is already complete" width="519" height="394"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fig. 6: Menu if information about all branches is already complete</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>If you clicks one revision 1x left, this will be represented as "selected", and a thin
line follows the mouse. That means that the first revision for the Diff tool was selected and
now a second revision must be clicked.</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tr>
<td><img src="../images/p4_menu_diff_start.gif" width="578" height="322"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fig. 7: Start selection of revisions for the Diff - tool</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>Now the second revision is selected, and a configured Diff tool is started
automatically. In order to delete this marking later it is enough to simply
click with the mouse 1x left somewhere on the background or on the first selected
revision.</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tr>
<td><img src="../images/p4_menu_diff_stop.gif" width="578" height="322"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fig. 8: End of the selection of revisions for the Diff - tool</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>In configuration dialog you can specify all run time parameters of BranchView. This properties
are shared between all BranchView windows started withhin the same Java VM. BranchView will save
settings on close. You can found BranchView property file <span class="code">tp4branchview.ini</span>
in <span class="code">%user home%</span> directory. Don't edit this file if BranchView is running:
BranchView will overwrite them on exit.</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2">
<tr>
<td><img src="../images/p4_menu_settings.gif" width="439" height="279"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fig. 9: Configuration dialog</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p> </p>
<h2>Keyboard usage: short overview<a name="keyboard"></a></h2>
<p>Keyboard usage:<br>
CTRL + E collapse/expand either selected or all branches<br>
CTRL + N open new window with same content<br>
CTRL + V change view to path from clipboard, if clipboard contains valid P4
depot path<br>
CTRL + C copy P4 depot path of selected revision to clipboard<br>
CTRL + D copy information over selected revision to clipboard <br>
CTRL + D copy information over all known revisions to clipboard, if nothing
selected<br>
CTRL + S open dialog to save view as GIF-image<br>
CTRL + R redo view layout<br>
CTRL + P open properties window<br>
CTRL + L open dialog to load data for view from log file<br>
CTRL + T open dialog to save all view data as text<br>
CTRL + '+' increase zoom<br>
CTRL + '-' decrease zoom<br>
'Pos 1' jump up<br>
'End' jump down<br>
F1 show online help</p>
<h2>Mouse usage: short overview<a name="mouse" id="mouse"></a></h2>
<p>2x left click over revision fetch more data (if available) from Perforce.<br>
1x click over empty background skip current selection.<br>
1x left click and drag over revision move this revision,<br>
1x left click and drag over background scroll the view<br>
1x left click + CTRL + SHIFT hold and drag over a revision move entire view.<br>
1x right click, (or 1x left click + CTRL hold) and drag over a revision move
entire branch.<br>
1x right click over background open a general menu.<br>
1x right click over a revision open a special revision menu.<br>
1x left click select first revision for a diff-tool, (deleted revisions cannot
be compare!) everyone other clicked revision will be a second revision for
a diff-tool.<br>
</p>
</blockquote>
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| # | Change | User | Description | Committed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #4 | 2735 | andrei_loskutov | sources are now included to binary distribution at http://andrei.gmxhome.de/perforce/index.html | ||
| #3 | 2553 | andrei_loskutov | Docu update for 1.3 version | ||
| #2 | 2222 | andrei_loskutov |
#13.10.2002 22:16 Revision 1.2.1 1) Documentation task is finished... Yes!!! 2) New feature: copy P4 depot path 3) Some small fixes to menu shortkeys belongs ctrl + c and ctrl + d 4) Clipboard fix because of JDK 1.2 - 1.3 bug 5) Smallest refactoring on some methods. 6) Html help updated |
||
| #1 | 2007 | andrei_loskutov | english documentation now available |