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# Use the Synchronize wizard with a project

The example in this topic illustrates the use of projects.

The Synchronize wizard behaves differently when you are working with streams. For details, see Work with streams.

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 need the privileges Deliver Files into Project/Stream, Update Item Content, Create Item.

Note: The Synchronize wizard uses client metadata 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 to maintain this metadata.

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

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 information on updating your work area with changes from a project or stream in Perform operations in Windows Explorer.

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.

   The Synchronize wizard opens with the Update from Project option selected.

4. To change any of the options, see information on synchronizing a project with a work area later in this topic.

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

6. To change any of the options, see information on synchronizing a project with a work area later in this topic.

7. Click Next. A summary page displays 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 information on how to synchronize both your work area and a project in a Dimensions repository in Perform operations in Windows Explorer.

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

2. 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.

3. To exclude certain types of change in the work area from being synchronized, clear the appropriate checkboxes under Include the following types of local changes:

   - Additions

   - Deletions

   - Modifications

   - Moves/Renames

4. To exclude certain types of change in the project in the repository from being synchronized, clear the corresponding checkboxes under Include the following types of repository changes.

5. 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 of file inclusions and exclusions .

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

   Option | Description
   --- | ---
   Include local folders | Enter any expression required to restrict which folders will be delivered from the work area.
   Exclude local files | Enter any expression required to identify files you want to be excluded from the deliver to the repository.
   Include repository folders | Enter any expression required to restrict which folders from the repository will be updated in the work area.
   Exclude repository files | Enter any expression required to identify files in the repository that you want to be excluded from the update to the work area.

6. To automatically merge the content of conflicting files, provided there is no conflicting content, select Auto-merge non-conflicting file content.

7. (Optional) To view the other available options on this page, click the Show additional options button.

   1. If required, change the Synchronization Options:

      Skip summary before synchronization | Select this option if you do not want the Synchronize wizard to display the summary page before synchronization.
      Close wizard of completion | Select this option if you want the Synchronize wizard to exit on completion of the synchronization.

   2. To create an output log for the results of the synchronization, select Enable in folder. To change the default folder where the logs are written, use the browse button and select another folder.

8. Click the Next button.

   The window displays Checking for work area differences while the 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.

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

   Option | Description
   --- | ---
   Comment for check in | If the synchronization requires updates to the repository, enter the default comment for any new item revisions that are created.
   Relate to request(s) | Select one or more default requests to be related in response to any new item revisions that are created. To create new item revisions, your process model may require a request. For details, see Select requests to relate to changes. 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.
   Permissions after Update | Choose between Make read only and Make writable for the permissions to be set on the file after updating from the repository.
   Design part for new files | The part specification for the owning design part for new items created in this work area (unless overridden by any values set for a folder beneath the root folder in this work area). For details, see Select an owning design part.
   Permissions after Deliver | Choose between Make read only and Keep unchanged for the permissions to be set on the file after delivering to the repository. Note: You do not need 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.
   Apply date/time of | Choose Repository item if you want the date/time of the files updated in the work area to have the same value as the item in the repository. Choose Current system if you want updated files in the work area to have the current date and time.
   Expand substitution variables | Select this option if you want item header substitution variables to be expanded when item files are updated in the work area. Note: This option works only if Enable item header substitution is set for the item type in the Administration Console. The default for this is set in the desktop client in the Tools | Preferences dialog box or the Windows Explorer plugin Dimensions | Preferences dialog box.

10. To change which files/folders are displayed, use the toolbar buttons:

    - To unhide item files that are unchanged, click the button.

    - To unhide item files whose Resolution is set to Ignored, click the button.

    - To view only item files in the repository, click the Repository View button.

    - To view only item files in the work area, click the Work Area View button.

    - To view item files in both the repository and the work area, click the Consolidated View button. This is a consolidated view and is the default selection.

11. 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.

    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 earlier 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.

    To change these, enter the default values you require.

12. To view the differences, you can expand the folder tree. But it is much easier to use the navigation buttons to move between each difference or unresolved conflict, especially if there are only a few differences in a large number of files.

13. To view details of the selected file, select the Properties tab.

    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. For details, see Review a change in the Synchronize wizard.

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

    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.

15. To return to the previous page to review the changes, click Back. If you are satisfied to continue, click Synchronize.

16. If there is an error during the processing of an item, 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.

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

17. To view details of the updates that have taken place, click Show Details.

18. To close the wizard, click Close.

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.

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See also:

- Synchronize wizard
- About the Synchronize wizard

https://admhelp.microfocus.com Dimensions CM 8942
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