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Installation
Work with clearcase package
Work with files and versions
Work with changes
Obtaining an information
Work with ClearCase's external tools
Other functions
Customization

User can work with ClearCase from Emacs using either backend module for VC package, either using specialized package called clearcase. Last package has more features, comparing backend for VC and for users it's better to use it. This package supports following functions:

Installation

The clearcase package is available for download from author's page. It could be used with GNU Emacs 20.4 or higher, and with latest versions of XEmacs. It could work with different operating systems — with different MS Windows, and with Unix-like OSes. To use package you need to download file to place where Emacs find it, and execute following command:

(require 'clearcase)

Warning: this package sometimes has problems with old versions of vc-hooks package, as they use incompatible versions of tq package. But this happens not so often.

Work with clearcase package

The clearcase package tries to keep compatibility with VC package in key bindings. But interface, that is implemented by package, is more powerful and better reflects ideology of ClearCase than backend for VC package.

Besides functions and key bindings user can use ClearCase menu, that is added to menu bar when he edit files with ClearCase minor-mode enabled. User can perform all basic commands directly from Emacs, and also can run external utilities from ClearCase distribution.

Many operations could be performed in the Dired mode — view tree of files versions, work with several files (checking them in and out), etc. To work with directories, that are registered in ClearCase the clearcase package defines special mode — clearcase-dired-mode.

For all key bindings the clearcase package use prefix key C-x v. To avoid problems with VC's key bindings, the clearcase package removes needless key bindings, when you work with files, registered in ClearCase.

All functions we can split into several logical groups — work with files, work with changes, work with external utilities, and other functions. For almost any function, that works with current file (they have suffix -current-buffer) there is also function that provides work with file from Dired buffer (such functions have suffix -dired-file). Usually both variants has same key bindings, that call appropriate function, depending on places in which they was pressed — current file, or Dired buffer.

Work with files and versions

The clearcase package tries to keep work logic of VC package as much as possible. It defines two functions — clearcase-next-action-current-buffer (C-x v v) and clearcase-next-action-dired-files (same key binding, but in Dired mode), that performs following operation on current file (or selected files). To change state of current file you can use clearcase-toggle-read-only function (C-x C-q), that either allow modification of file, either switch it to read-only state.

The package allows user to perform bulk operations of getting data from repository and committing them back. To retrieve data from repository user can use following functions: clearcase-checkout-current-buffer, clearcase-checkout-dired-files and clearcase-dired-checkout-current-dir, that retrieve actual versions for current file, selected files and current directory. And to commit data back to repository there are functions with similar names — clearcase-checkin-current-buffer, clearcase-checkin-dired-files and clearcase-dired-checkin-current-dir. To cancel changes user can use either clearcase-uncheckout-current-buffer function (it bound to C-x v c or C-x v u), or clearcase-uncheckout-dired-files function (it has same key bindings, but work only in clearcase-dired-mode), or clearcase-dired-uncheckout-current-dir function.

To register files in the ClearCase user can use either clearcase-mkelem-current-buffer function (C-x v i), that register current file, or clearcase-mkelem-dired-files function, that register selected files.

To update data from repository we can use clearcase-update-current-buffer, clearcase-update-default-directory, clearcase-update-dired-files or clearcase-update-view functions, that update corresponding object — current file, selected files, directory or view. And we can also can get concrete file version with clearcase-version-other-window function, that bound to C-x v ~.

We also can create a new branch with clearcase-mkbrtype function, that bound to C-x v m. Other branch manipulations are performed the same way as in VC.

Work with changes

All functions, that implement work with changes we can split into two groups. First group use usual diff to get changes between versions (their names started with clearcase-diff), while second group use ediff package (and their names start with clearcase-ediff). I describe only functionss from first group, as there are no differences between them, except the names.

Obtaining an information

To get information about files we can use several functions. The clearcase-describe-current-buffer function (C-x v ?) could be used to get description of current file, while clearcase-describe-dired-file is used to get information about selected files.

User can also get annotated copy of file(s) with clearcase-annotate-current-buffer (C-x v g) or clearcase-annotate-dired-file functions. And to get history of changes, he can use functions clearcase-list-history-current-buffer (C-x v l) or clearcase-list-history-dired-file.

User can also use clearcase package to work with ClearCase file's properties, that could be assigned to each registered file. User can view them with clearcase-fprop-display-properties function, and insert them into current buffer with clearcase-fprop-dump-to-current-buffer function.

Work with ClearCase's external tools

User can use clearcase package to run many utilities from ClearCase's distribution without leaving Emacs:

It also allows to use external utilities with graphical interface to view changes in files:

Other functions

User can edit ClearCase configuration with functions, those names starts with clearcase-edcs. For editing configurations, there is a special mode — clearcase-edcs-mode, that could be enabled by function with the same name. User can edit configuration with clearcase-edcs-edit function (C-x v e), and save changes with clearcase-edcs-save. To finish work with configuration there is special function — clearcase-edcs-finish.

If there are some problems with package, then user can trace state of package with special functions. To enable tracing user can use clearcase-enable-tracing function, and to disable — clearcase-disable-tracing function. User can also get data about package's internal state with clearcase-dump function. But this is happen not so often. And if you find a bug in package, then you can set bug report with clearcase-submit-bug-report function, that collects all needed data (values of variables, version of Emacs, etc.) and prepare it to sending.

Customization

As for many other packages, the clearcase package supports customization via standard Emacs routines. User just need to execute M-x customize-group clearcase to do this. He can set many parameters, for example, which program will be used as diff, etc. User can also set (and remove) special hooks with clearcase-integrate and clearcase-unintegrate functions.

Last change: 05.03.2013 16:54

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