Check-out files to be modified

Before you can modify a file that has been archived by Team Coherence, you need to check out that file. Checking out a file makes the local copy of the file writable so that you can modify it and also places a lock on the archive. A locked archive does not necessarily stop other developers from modifying the file. Multiple locks can exist for a file if the server has been configured to allow this.

To check out a file from within your development tool (depending on the interface), make that file the current one and select Workgroups / Checkout from the main menu.To check out file(s), folder(s), or a project from within Version Manager, select the relevant objects and right-click, or select Action, and select Checkout.

You will be presented with the check out dialog box to allow you to select the revision or version of the files you are checking out and to specify a location for the files:

Revision – Enter a specific revision of the files to check out. Generally, unless you were checking out a single file, it would not make sense to specify a revision.

Version – Select an existing Version Label to check out that particular Version of the files.

Lock Comments - Enter some text that describes what you are about to do with these files. This enables other users to see the reason why you have checked out these files. In addition, these comments can be used when checking in the files. Right-clicking in this box allows you to retrieve previously entered comments.

Check out to – Enter the root directory to check out these files to. If this option is disabled, it normally means that the files you are checking out do not have a common root directory.

Overwrite writable files – If this option is checked, any local files that are writable will be overwritten with the copy being checked out. If the check out process encounters any writable files, and you already have them locked, they will not be overwritten.

Assign Version during check out – During the check out process, you have the option of assigning a new Version Label to the revision of each file that is checked out.

The Assign Version list will only display visible labels. To use a label that is marked as hidden, use the button with the ellipsis (...) to select it

If the label being attached has an associated Branch Base Label (see Version Labels), and the Version Label has not yet been associated with the file, both the Label and the Branch Base Label will be applied to the relevant revision.

Version Comments – If you assign a Version Label, you can enter comments to be attached to that Version Label.

Check out by Date - Entering a date here overrides the Revision and Version fields in the General tab. If set, only the latest versions of the files checked in on or before this date will be retrieved. Useful to get a copy of the source for a specific day when you can't use a Version Label.

When you press the OK button, the selected files will be checked out. The actual revision of the files that is checked out will be based on the criteria you entered in this dialog.

See also: Scenario 2