Synchronize Dimensions CM projects

This topic describes how to synchronize Dimensions CM projects in the Visual Studio IDE.

Synchronization overview

Using the Dimensions CM Synchronize wizard, you can update:

  • Your local work area with the latest changes from the Dimensions CM repository.

  • The Dimensions CM repository with the latest changes from your local work area.

When you launch the Dimensions CM Synchronize wizard, it compares the files and folders on your disk with the corresponding items and folders in the repository. It displays icons for each file and folder to indicate if there are differences and to show what type of differences there are.

The information displayed for each file includes a description of the difference, the proposed resolution, and a list of available actions should you wish to override the proposed resolution. If you wish to accept the proposed resolution, no file-by-file action is required on your part.

In the case of a conflict, when something has changed both in the work area and in the repository, specify what action to take for that file:

Option Description
Ignore Leave both the work area file and the repository item as they are.
Use local Add the work area file to the repository as the latest item version.
Use repository Overwrite the work area file with the latest item version from the repository.
Merge Launch the file Merge tool to resolve the internal differences between the work area file and the repository item.

For details about the Synchronize wizard, see Use the Synchronize wizard.

For details about the change types available in the Dimensions CM Synchronize wizard, see Synchronization change types.

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Use the Synchronize wizard

Use the Dimensions CM Synchronize wizard to synchronize the changes in your work area with the Dimensions CM repository.

To synchronize your work area with the repository:

  1. Right-click the solution or project to synchronize, and select Synchronize. Alternatively, select File > Source Control >Synchronize.
  2. Synchronize with: Specify a Dimensions CM project or click the browse button to select one.

  3. Select the kind of synchronization you want to perform:

    Include the following types of local changes

    Choose which type of changes from your local working location to upload to the repository.

    Select from the following types: Additions, Deletions, Modifications, Moves/Renames.
    Include the following types of repository changes

    Choose which type of changes from the repository to download to your local working area.

    Select from the following types: Additions, Deletions, Modifications, Moves/Renames.

  4. (Optional) To synchronize only specific files, enter wildcard filters for including or excluding local and repository files and folders. During the synchronization, the inclusions are evaluated before the exclusions.

    For details, see Include and exclude files and folders.

    For example:

    Expression Details
    \.obj$

    Excludes paths that end with the string .obj.

    Excludes hello.obj but not hello.c.
    ^src\\debug

    Excludes paths that start with the string src\debug.

    Excludes src\debug\hello.obj but not src\hello.obj.
    ^New.*\.txt$

    Excludes paths that start with New and end with .txt.

    Excludes New Document.txt but not New Document.wav.

  5. Click Show additional options to display options on change detection and login.

  6. If required, change the Synchronization options. To skip the summary page, select Skip summary before synchronization. To automatically close the wizard when synchronization is complete, select Close wizard on completion.

  7. To create an output log for the synchronization results, select Enable in folder under Logging and enter a path, or click the browse button. Click Next. The window displays the differences between your local work area and the repository.

  8. Select a display mode:

    Mode Details
    Repository view To view only items in the repository.
    Work area view To view only files in the work area.
    Consolidated view To view items and files in both the repository and the work area. This is the default view.

  9. Expand the folder tree as needed, or use the navigation buttons, to review the differences and conflicts:

    Differences / conflicts Details
    Previous Difference To ascend the file tree to the previous difference.
    Next Difference To descend the file tree to the next difference.
    Previous Conflict To ascend the file tree to the previous conflict.
    Next Conflict To descend the file tree to the next conflict.
  10. To compare a work area file and a repository item, select a file/item and click the Compare button. The file merge tool opens.

  11. To specify a resolution for a difference or a conflict, select the file and then click a resolution on the toolbar. The resolution proposed by the wizard is displayed in bold text; available resolutions are underlined.

    If you do not select a specific resolution, the proposed resolution is implemented upon completion of the wizard. Some or all of the following resolutions are available:

    Resolution Details
    Accept Accept the changes from either the local work area or the repository.
    Ignore Leave both the work area file and the repository item as they are.
    Use local Add the work area file to the repository as the latest item version.
    Use repository Overwrite the work area file with the latest item version from the repository.
    Merge Launch the file Merge tool to resolve the internal differences between the work area file and the repository item.

    Caution: In certain cases, when you choose to merge items, the merged files may appear after synchronization as having been moved. If this occurs, reopen the solution from source control to correctly display the merged file locations.

  12. (Optional) On the Defaults tab, change the default options. These settings apply to all files in the synchronization, unless overridden for specific files:

    Option Details
    Comment

    Description of any changes you are checking in.
    Relate to request(s) A request ID to relate to the changes you are checking in.
    Permissions after Update

    Choose whether to make files that are updated on your local system writable or leave them as they are.
    Design part for new files Browse to choose a design part for any new files you are uploading.
    Permissions after Deliver Choose whether to make the files you are checking in or adding to Dimensions CM read-only, or leave them as they are.
    Apply date / time of

    Select one of the options:

    • Repository item. The files downloaded to the working location have the same date/time as the item in the repository.

    • Current system. Downloaded files have the current date and time.
    Expand substitution variables Choose whether to expand substitution variables.
  13. To view the changes made to a revision, right-click and select View.
  14. To change any of the above options for specific files, select a file and click the Options tab. Here, you can override the setting with unique values.
  15. Click Next to display a synchronization summary, and then start the synchronization.

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See also: