View Compare/Merge Wizard: Set Options

This page of the View Compare/Merge Wizard contains options that will control the beginning of the View Compare/Merge session. You can change individual default actions in either the Compare Perspective or the Merge Perspective during the View Compare/Merge session.

Auto-merge Properties

View Compare/Merge automatically merges the view, folder, or item properties at the beginning of the View Compare/Merge session. For example, if a property has changed only in the source, the value of that property in the target is changed to match. (Default)

Auto-merge Files

View Compare/Merge automatically merges files without conflicting differences at the beginning of the View Compare/Merge session. (Default)

Match Files By Name

View Compare/Merge matches files with the same file names, even if the object IDs are different, or if the files cannot otherwise be matched. For example, if the same line has changed in both a source and target text file, View Compare/Merge cannot automatically merge the two lines, but if the line has changed only in the source, those changes can also be made to that line in the target. When you match source and target files by name, and the object IDs are different, no branch point can be used to locate a common ancestor when merging or comparing the two files. However, if you have compared these two files (in this source-target direction) before, there may be merge points. (Default)

Treat File Names As Case Sensitive

If Match Files By Name is checked, file matching is case sensitive.

Ignore Merge Points

If checked, View Compare/Merge ignores existing merge points by default. If unchecked, View Compare/Merge uses the last recorded merge point between two items to determine if either or both items has changed. When View Compare/Merge performs a merge on a text file, the revision of one of the files (usually the source file) is used as the least common ancestor to perform the merge. When merge point usage is not enabled, the least common ancestor is determined by finding the last branch point common to the two files. It should be very rare that you would ever want to ignore merge points.

Fix/Find Floating Child Shares

Fixes any shares that are floating by pinning them in a Rebase or Promote, since View Compare/Merge cannot merge floating shares. In a Compare-only session, VCM simply finds the floating child shares for you.

In Rebase and Replicate merge operations, this option specifies whether each target view item found that is a floating share of a source view item should be “fixed” by pinning it. When a target view item is a floating child share of a source item (which implies that the target item has not branched), differences will not be detected between the source and target item during VCM sessions because changes to the source item immediately float to the child item. View Compare/Merge best practices suggests that child shares should always be pinned, allowing changes to propagate from the source to target view in a controlled manner. This option allows floating child items found by View Compare/Merge to be “fixed” by pinning them to the parent item revision. Specifying this option has a performance cost due to the extra commands required to check each target item examined during the compare phase.

Tip: You might want to check this the first time you perform a compare/merge on a view, then uncheck it for successive comparisons to speed up your sessions.

Break Locks Automatically

Attempts automatically to break an existing lock if the item is already locked by another user, and if the item needs to be locked due to one of the locking options below being set. Breaking locks requires special permissions. Break Locks Automatically is only relevant when View Compare/Merge wants to lock an item. And it only locks items for actions that make changes. For example, if you are in the middle of a session, and you change an action from Ignore to Delete, View Compare/Merge may break someone else's lock on the item that is going to be deleted at commit time.

Lock Source For Difference

Locks source items for differences that will result in a change. Some actions, such as Ignore, will not result in a change, and therefore do not require a lock. Locking usually happens at compare time, but may also happen later in the session if the action for a difference is overridden. View Compare/Merge will not lock reverse-shared items in the source view unless you check this option in the View Compare/Merge Wizard.

Lock Target For Difference

Locks target items for differences that will result in a change. Some actions, such as Ignore, will not result in a change, and therefore do not require a lock. Locking usually happens at compare time, but may also happen later in the session if the action for a difference is overridden. (Default)

Start With Merge Perspective Current

Starts the View Compare/Merge session in the Merge Perspective. If unchecked, View Compare/Merge starts in the Compare Perspective. (Default)