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# Perform operations in Windows Explorer

You can use the Windows Explorer plugin to compare or update your work area in conjunction with the Dimensions CM repository.

In this topic:

## Guidelines

The following guidelines apply when working with Windows Explorer:

- To create or update items in the repository, you need the Update Item Content and the Create Item privileges.

- Some operations require access to the Dimensions CM database, so you need to log in. After you log in, Dimensions CM remembers your credentials for future access.

  The procedure for logging in is the same as for the desktop client. You can have your client configured for use with SSO (single sign-on) and optionally Smart Card authentication. For details, see Log in to desktop client.

- The Windows Explorer plugin uses client metadata to make comparisons between the work area and the repository. To create or maintain this metadata, the files and folders in the work area that correspond to existing items and directories in the project need to have been created using Dimensions CM item file operations.

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## Dimensions CM operations in Windows Explorer

The following table describes Dimensions CM operations that you can perform in Windows Explorer.

Operation | Description
--- | ---
Check out items | Projects only: Right-click the file(s) or a folder and select Dimensions > Check-Out. Note: In Windows, the maximum file path length for a checked out file in the work area is 260 characters.
Check in items | Projects only: Right-click the file(s) or a folder and select Dimensions > Check-In. If you have not entered any text for the Comment for check-in field for the related file or folder properties dialog box, and a comment is specified as required for the item type, you need to enter a comment. Note: If a file is unchanged, the Windows Explorer plugin does not check in the file, but performs an Undo Check Out instead. This behavior is consistent with the Eclipse and Visual Studio integrations but in contrast to the desktop client.
Cancel item check-outs | Projects only: Right-click the file(s) or a folder and select Dimensions > Cancel Check-Out.
View the item properties of a file | Right-click the file, select properties, and select the Dimensions tab. The Properties dialog box opens, displaying the Dimensions properties of the file.
View the item history of a file | Right-click the file and select Dimensions > History. The History dialog opens, displaying the history of the item associated with this file. For details, see View items.
View the item pedigree of a file | Right-click the file and select Dimensions > Pedigree. The Pedigree window opens, displaying the pedigree history of this file. Note: Revisions of an item that do not belong to the current stream/project are displayed dimmed.
Compare the contents of a modified file with an item revision in a repository | Right-click the file and select Dimensions > Pedigree. In the Pedigree window, right-click the revision that you want to compare with the version in your work area, and select Compare. By default, the default merge tool is launched for this purpose. For details on how to use the file merge tool, seeUse merge tools or the online help inside the tool. You can configure other merge tools to use with Dimensions CM. For details, see Administration.
Lock items in a stream | Right-click the file(s) or a folder and select Dimensions > Lock. A lock icon appears against the file icon.
Unlock a locked item in a stream | Right-click the file(s) or a folder and select Dimensions > Unlock. The lock icon is removed.
Discard changes to files | If you have modified a file, you can discard it. Discarding a file performs a get of the original item revision from which the selected file was created, overwriting the file and setting its datestamp to the current system date and time. Right-click the modified files or a folder and select Dimensions > Discard. Click OK to confirm.
Synchronize both your work area and a project in the Dimensions repository | Projects only: Right-click the work area root folder or a subfolder and select Dimensions > Synchronize. The Synchronize wizard opens. To select another project, click the browse button. In the Select Project dialog box, select a Product and Project, and click OK. Follow the steps in Use the Synchronize wizard with projects.
Update your work area with changes from a project or stream | Right-click the work area root folder or a subfolder and select Dimensions > Update. Project: The Synchronize wizard opens. Streams: The Update dialog box opens. Projects only: To select another project to update from: Click the browse button. In the Select Project dialog box, select a Product and Project. Click OK. Projects: Follow the steps in Use the Synchronize wizard with projects. Streams: Follow the steps inUpdate work areas from streams.
Deliver changes from your work area to a project or stream in the repository | Right-click the work area root folder or a subfolder and select Dimensions > Deliver. The Synchronize wizard opens. Projects only: To select another project to update from: Click the browse button. In the Select Project dialog box, select a Product and Project. Click OK. Projects: Follow the steps in Use the Synchronize wizard with projects. Streams: Follow the steps inUpdate work areas from streams.
View the changes in a repository compared with your work area | Right-click a file or folder and select Dimensions > Repository changes. The Synchronize wizard opens with the Repository Changes option selected. Follow the steps described in Use the Synchronize wizard with projects.
View the changes in your work area compared with a repository | Right-click a file or folder and select Dimensions > Work Area changes. The Synchronize wizard opens with the Local Changes option selected. You do not need to log in to Dimensions CM unless you choose to review repository changes, or select the Compare option for a file. If the Log in to Dimensions dialog box opens, complete the details and click OK. Follow the steps described in Use the Synchronize wizard with projects.
Make files writable | Right-click file(s) or a folder and select Dimensions > Make writable.
Make files read-only | Right-click file(s) or a folder and select Dimensions > Make read-only.
Touch files to update their timestamp | Right-click the file(s) or a folder and select Dimensions > Touch. This is useful because, when working with build systems, you may want to update the timestamp of unchanged files in your work area, so that they are included in a build but not delivered to Dimensions source control.
Action a Dimensions request | Right-click a file or folder associated with a Dimensions CM project or stream, and select Dimensions> Action Request. The Request Selection wizard displays a list of your pending requests. In the initial list or requests, any request that is set in the Request under work field in the Explorer Properties dialog gets listed at the top. The other requests in the list are restricted to the requests for the product that are in the user's inbox. To change the selection: Click Search. Enter selection criteria for the request(s) you are looking for. Optionally: Select a product from the list. Select a request type from the Type list. Enter a filter string in any of the text fields: Title, Request ID, Originator, Status. Use an underscore (_) as a wildcard to match exactly one character. Use a percent sign (%) to match any number of characters. To filter the list of requests to contain only those in your inbox, select Pending. Click Next. Select the requests and click Action. To action the requests, follow the instructions in Action a request.
Merge files or folders | Streams only. Right-click file(s) or folder(s) and select Dimensions > Merge. The Merge Streams wizard opens. Then follow the instructions inMerge changes.
View file annotations | The annotation view enhances parallel development by adding annotations to blocks of code that have been modified. Right-click a file and select Dimensions > Annotation. The Annotation window opens. For details, see View file annotations.
View a stream’s changesets | A changeset is a logical grouping of changes that is created automatically every time that you deliver changes to a stream or project in a repository. Right-click a folder and select Dimensions > Changesets. The Changesets window opens. For details, see Work with changesets.
Log out of Dimensions CM | Right-click a file or folder and select Dimensions > Log Out.

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See also:

- Use the Windows Explorer plugin
- Associate work areas with projects or streams

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