browsemodes.html #1

<TITLE>Depot Browsing vs. Workspace Browsing</TITLE>

<p> P4Web can be used to browse files and paths in the Perforce <a href="defs?help#depot">depot</a>. 
  If you are using P4Web in <a href="helper?help">Standard mode</a>, you can also 
  use it to browse files and paths in your <a href="defs?help#clientworkspace">client 
  workspace</a>. Workspace browsing mode affects only the Tree view and File view 
  pages. All other P4Web pages behave the same, regardless of whether you arrived 
  at them using depot browsing or workspace browsing. File links in <a href="pendingchangelists?help">pending 
  changelists</a>, <a href="submittedchangelists?help">submitted changelists</a>, 
  and <a href="filelog?help">filelogs</a> take you to a File view page with depot 
  browsing mode in effect, which can be confusing if you started out using workspace 
  browsing. You can always use your browser's <a href="tips?help#rightclick">right-click</a> 
  feature to keep a workspace browsing window open while following other links. 
<p>Note the following distinctions between the two browsing modes.</p>

<table bgcolor=#eeeeee width=100% cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 border=1>
  <tr> 
    <td width=10%>&nbsp;</td>
    <td width=41%> <b>Depot browsing</b> </td>
    <td width=49%> <b>Workspace browsing</b> </td>
  </tr>
  <tr> 
    <td width=10% valign=top><b>Am I seeing the depot or the workspace?</b></td>
    <td width=41% valign=top> 
      <p> The <b>Switch to depot tree</b> link turns on depot browsing. It takes 
        you to a <a href="pathbrowser?help">Tree view</a> page showing the root 
        of the Perforce depot tree. The Tree view can show files not in your client 
        workspace. For instance, files not <a href="sync?help">synced</a> to your 
        workspace, and files you have <a href="delete?help">opened for delete</a>, 
        can be browsed in depot mode. </p>
    </td>
    <td width=49% valign=top> 
      <p> The <b>Switch to workspace tree</b> link starts workspace browsing. 
        It takes you to a <a href="pathbrowser?help">Tree view</a> page showing 
        files and path at the top level of your workspace. The Tree view shows 
        only the files that are actually present in your client workspace. </p>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr> 
    <td width=10% valign=top><b>What's the impact on the Perforcer Server?</b></td>
    <td width=41% valign=top>You can restrict the scope of depot browsing to the 
      current <a href="defs?help#clientview">client view</a>. See <a href="settings?help">Settings 
      and Preferences</a> to find out how to set this. For users of large Perforce 
      depots, this setting is a good idea because it reduces the amount of work 
      the Perforce Server has to do for each P4Web depot browsing request. </td>
    <td width=49% valign=top>The Perforce Server does less work for P4Web when 
      you browse the workspace tree because it only has to get information about 
      files in the current client view. </td>
  </tr>
  <tr> 
    <td width=10% valign=top><b>How do I know which mode I'm in?</b></td>
    <td width=41% valign=top> 
      <p>You'll know when you're in depot browsing mode because P4Web will show 
        the current path using Perforce syntax. For example, </p>
      <blockquote> <b> <a href="" style="text-decoration:none">//depot/projects/mars/...</a> 
        </b></blockquote>
    </td>
    <td width=49% valign=top> 
      <p> You'll know when you are browsing the workspace tree because the current 
        path will be shown in local syntax. For example: </p>
      <dl> 
        <dt> <i>Windows:</i> </dt>
        <dd> <b><a href="" style="text-decoration:none">c:&#92;Joe&#92;workspace&#92;projects&#92;mars 
          </a></b> 
        <dt> <i>Unix:</i> </dt>
        <dd> <b><a href="" style="text-decoration:none">/usr/team/joe/ws/projects/mars</a></b> 
        <dt> <i>Macintosh:</i> </dt>
        <dd> <b><a href="" style="text-decoration:none">::Hard Disk:Joe's Workspace:projects:mars</a></b> 
        </dd>
      </dl>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>