Merging Item Revisions and Files

Purpose

Merge item revisions to combine the updates made to each of them in parallel into a single new revision.

Once you have specified details for the new item revision, Dimensions CM invokes either the Merge Tool or, in the case of UNIX platforms, the mgdiff tool, to enable you to perform the merging of the contents of the item files.

For items in a stream this operation can only be performed in the context of an Update operation.

PRIVILEGES Revise Item Content

To merge item revisions:

NOTE If you have not selected the Install native code option, you will receive an error message when Dimensions CM attempts to invoke the merge tool.

On the My Current Project tab or Items tab, select one or more item revisions (of the same item).

NOTE If you are working on a UNIX platform, you will not be able to merge more than two item revisions or files.

Click the More button and select Merge Item revision. The Merge dialog box appears.
In the Base field, you can choose between an item revision and a workfile for the base for the merge operation. Click the link to toggle between these two options.
Verify under the Revisions section that you have selected the correct item revisions to be included in the merge.

If you want to add a revision, click the Add revision link and select a revision from the list.
If you want to remove a revision, click the icon next to the name.

In the Workfiles field, click the Add workfile link to include a work file in the merge, and click the button to choose it. Repeat this for any other workfile you want to include. If you want to remove a workfile, click the icon next to the name.
Select the option for the merged file:

New revision to create a new item revision to contain the merged contents.
Existing revision to update the item pedigree to indicate that an existing item revision contains the result of the merge. Leave the resulting Target revision field as the default of the latest revision or select another revision in the Target revision field.
Workfile to use a file in a work area. In the resulting Output file field, type the pathname of the file, or use the browse button to select it.

If necessary, complete the fields in the Merge Options tab.
If required, on the Attributes tab, type or select any values.
When you have completed the dialog box, click OK. If you have selected Existing Revision as the target for the merge, this will complete the update and exit from the dialog box, otherwise, it will invoke the merge/difference tool for the platform you are using:

Windows: the Merge Tool is invoked.
UNIX: the mgdiff tool is invoked. Use the Help option for details of how to use this tool.

When you have finished, exit the merge tool. In the Results dialog box, click Continue to check in the target file, and then click Close.