Using the Synchronize Wizard with a Project

The examples below illustrates the use of projects. The Synchronize Wizard behaves differently when you are working with streams, for details see Working with Streams.

Purpose

Use the Synchronize Wizard to step through the process of updating your work area and/or the corresponding Dimensions CM project so that they both contain the latest versions of the files.

PRIVILEGES  To update items in the repository you are likely to need the following:

Deliver Files into Project/Stream
Update Item Content
Create Item

NOTE  The Synchronize Wizard uses client metadata in order to make comparisons between the work area and the repository. The files and folders in the work area that correspond to existing items and folders in the project need to have been created using Dimensions CM item file operations in order to maintain this metadata.

NOTE  The use of the Synchronize Wizard is not supported with a Dimensions CM project that uses a work area with a folder offset.

NOTE  In Windows, the maximum supported length of file path for a checked out or gotten file in the work area is 260 characters.

To update an empty work area from a project:

  1. To start the Synchronize wizard from Windows Explorer, see To update your work area with changes from a project or stream:.

  2. In the desktop client, Set your default work area to the work area.

  3. In the folders and items view, select the folder whose items you want to update in the work area (to update from the entire project, select the top-level folder) and select Project | Update from Project.

  4. The Synchronize wizard appears with the Update from Project option selected.If you want to change any of the options, see To synchronize a project with your work area using the Synchronize Wizard:.

  5. Click Next.After some processing, a page is displayed showing the files to be copied to the work area.

  6. If you want to change any of the options, see To synchronize a project with your work area using the Synchronize Wizard:.

  7. Click Next.A summary page is displayed showing the updates that will take place.

  8. To complete the update, click the Update button. After some processing, the wizard displays Synchronize is now complete.

  9. Click Close.

To synchronize a project with your work area using the Synchronize Wizard:

  1. To start the Synchronize wizard from Windows Explorer, see To synchronize both your work area and a project in the Dimensions repository:.

  2. In the desktop client, in the folders and items view, select the folder whose items you want to synchronize, and select Synchronize.

  3. If the project in the Synchronize with field is not set to the project with which you want to synchronize, use the browse button to select it.

  4. If you want to exclude certain types of change in the work area from being synchronized, deselect the appropriate check boxes under Include the following types of local changes:

  5. If you want to exclude certain types of change in the project in the repository from being synchronized, deselect the corresponding check boxes under Include the following types of repository changes.

  6. If you want to restrict the synchronization to filter particular files or folders, enter expressions in the required fields for inclusions and exclusions. The inclusions, if entered, will be evaluated before the exclusions when the synchronization is performed. For examples of filters, see Example Expressions for Specifying File Inclusions and Exclusions.

  7. NOTE  You need to specify wildcards for folders when specifying types of files. For example, use **/*.exe to match all files of extension .exe.

  8. If you want the content of conflicting files to be automatically merged provided there is no conflicting content, select Auto-merge non-conflicting file content.

  9. Optionally, to see the other options on this page, click the Show additional options button.

  10. a    Dimensions CMIf required, change the Synchronization Options:

          Select Skip summary before synchronization if you do not want the Synchronize wizard to display the summary page before synchronization.

          Select Close wizard of completion if you want the Synchronize wizard to exit on completion of the synchronization.

    b    If you require an output log for the results of the synchronization, select Enable in folder. If you want to change the default folder where the logs are written, use the browse button to select another folder.

  11. Click the Next button.

  12. The window will display "Checking for work area differences" while processing takes place. When Dimensions CM has finished comparing the differences, the next page of the wizard is displayed containing a folder structure indicating the differences between the work area and the repository.

  13. If required, use the Defaults tab to change the default options used when files are delivered or updated. (You will be able to override them when you select an individual file or subfolder by using the Options tab.)

  14. NOTE  You cannot check out an item in response to a request if the request is above the initial stage in the Global Stage Lifecycle.

    NOTE  It is not necessary to set file permissions to read-only just to distinguish files that have been updated. The Change Type column maintained by Dimensions CM provides a more accurate account of whether files need updating. It is now possible to always work with writable files. Setting the Permissions after update and Permissions after deliver to Make writable saves you having to first set permissions each time you want to update a file.

    The default for this is set in the desktop client in the Tools | Preferences dialog box or the Windows Explorer plug-in Dimensions | Preferences dialog.

     

  15. If you want to change which files/folders are shown, use the toolbar buttons:

  16. If you want to set defaults or overrides for a specific file or folder, expand the folder tree, select the file or folder, and select the Options tab.

  17. On the Options tab, there are a set of values that apply at the file or folder level similar to those at the root level described in Step 9. If you have selected a folder, these values will be used as defaults for deliver or update operations for items within this folder and any subfolders beneath it, but you will be able to override them when you select an individual subfolder or file.

    If you want to change these, enter the default values you require.

  18. You can expand the folder tree to view the differences. However, using the navigation buttons to move between each difference or unresolved conflict is much easier, especially if there are only a few differences in a large number of files

  19. Select the Properties tab to view details of the selected file.

  20. For each file for which there is a change or conflict, review and if necessary, change the resolution that has been determined by the Synchronize Wizard and any options to be applied specifically to that item revision. Select the Properties tab to see more details of the type of change or conflict. This procedure is described in more detail in Reviewing a Change in the Synchronize Wizard.

  21. When you are satisfied with the resolutions for the changes, click Next.

  22. The next page of the wizard displays a series of entries informing you of the updates that will occur when the synchronization is performed. At this stage no updates to the database have yet taken place. Some operations and commands that could be destructive, or not what you intend, may be ordered first in the summary log and prefixed with a 'Caution:' heading and description.

  23. If you want to return to the previous page to review the changes, click Back. If you are satisfied to continue, click Synchronize.If there is an error during the processing of an item, Dimensions CM displays an error dialog box. Fix the error by entering the required fields in the Error dialog box and click the Retry button, or click the Ignore button to ignore that item. Alternatively, click the Abort or Ignore All buttons.

  24. After some processing, a page displays Synchronize is now complete.

  25. If you want to see details of the updates that have taken place, click Show Details.

  26. If you want to close the wizard, click Close.

If you want to return to the start of the Synchronize Wizard to perform another synchronization, or to check the results of the synchronization, click Restart.

If you want the wizard to close automatically on subsequent occasions when processing is complete, select Always close wizard on completion.

Related Topics

Synchronize Wizard

Synchronize Wizard Changes Page

Synchronize Wizard Summary Page

Synchronize Wizard Synchronizing Page

About the Synchronize Wizard