Creating and Configuring Views

This topic describes procedures for creating and configuring various types of Views.

Creating a New View

To create a new view based upon an existing view, do the following:

  1. Display the project view upon which the new view will be based.
  2. Choose View > New.

    The New View Wizard opens.

  3. Select one of the available options from the View Type list:

    Branch All Will be based on a configuration of the currently open view. All items in the new view will be set to branch when they are modified. This branch behavior can be changed later for individual items in the new view so that changed items do not branch.
    Reference Allows users to read from and write to a subset of the parent view's current configuration. Any changes appear in both the reference view and its parent.
    Lightweight Activity

    View will be based on the current configuration of the currently open view. All file and folder items in the new view will be shared down on demand and set to branch when they are modified. Project should have "Create workspace change package" option enforced to be able to create lightweight activity views. Skip steps 5 to 9.

    See Lightweight Activity View Restrictions.

    Read-only Reference Allows users to read from a subset of the parent view. Unlike a read-write reference view, the contents of a read-only reference view may be current (floating) or configured to a point in the parent view's past by specifying a label, promotion state, or time.
  4. Type a Name and a Description for the view in the appropriate fields and click Next.
  5. Select the Root Folder for the new view and click Next.

    Note: The New View Wizard skips this step for a Non-Derived view.

  6. Type or browse for the name of an appropriate Default Working Folder.

    Caution: For a Branch All or a Non-Derived view, always use a working folder that is different from the one used by the parent view. Using the same working folder for the parent and child views can cause changes in one view to be overwritten when files are checked out from the other view. It can also result in incorrect or, at least, misleading file status indicators. For a Reference or Read-Only Reference view, you can use the same working folder as the parent view.

  7. Click Next to display the Select Types page.
  8. Select the item types to include in the new view. The new view will include items of the selected types from the parent view, unless the Override default types option has been selected in the View Access Rights dialog box.

    Tip: To create a view with no shared items, use the Branch All view type and clear all the check boxes on the Select Types page.

  9. Click Next to display the Configuration page.

    If you are creating a Non-derived or Reference view, click Finish.

    Note: It is not necessary to display the Configuration page for a Non-Derived view because no items from the parent view are included. It is also not necessary to display the Configuration page for a Reference view because the items have the same configuration as those in the parent view.

  10. Select one of the available configuration options on the Configuration page.
  11. Click Finish.

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View Configuration Options

The following table describes the view configuration options available in the New View Wizard.

Floating Configuration Not recommended. All the items in the new view will be identical to the corresponding items in the current parent view. Changes to an item in the parent view will be made to the corresponding item in the new view until that item branches, while changes to an item in the new view will be reflected in the parent until the item in the new view branches. (In many cases, the first change to that item will result in branching). New items in the parent view will appear in a branching view. However, new items added to a branching view will appear in the parent view only if the new view is the Branch none type.
Labeled Configuration All the items in the new view will have had the specified label in the parent view. In all cases, the revision of the item to which the label was attached is the tip revision in the new view. This option is disabled if the parent view has no view labels. Changes to the parent view do not affect the new view, including changes to the label upon which the view is based. Unless an item is set to Branch on change in the new view, it will be read-only and you cannot change it.
Promotion State Configuration All the items in the new view will have been part of the specified promotion state in the parent view. In all cases, the revision of the item that was part of the promotion state is the tip revision in the new view. This option is disabled if the parent view has no promotion states defined for it. Changes to the parent view will not affect the new view, including changes to the promotion state or its assigned label. Unless a specific item is set to Branch on change in the new reference view, it will be read-only and you cannot change it.
Configuration As Of The new view will contain only the items that existed at the date and time you specify. In all cases, the tip revision of each item in the new view is the revision closest to, but before, the specified time. Changes to the parent view will not affect the new view. Unless a specific item is set to Branch on change in the new view, it will be read-only and you cannot change it.

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View Type Options and Settings

The following table below lists the settings that must be selected in the New View Wizard to create the different views.

Desired Characteristics for New View Options to Set

Branching: Branch All (Not Floating)

New Items New items in the child view do not appear in the parent view. New items in the parent view do not appear in the child view.
Existing Items Existing items in the child view are the same as in parent view at the time of configuration, until the item in the child view branches. Changes cannot be made to an item in the child view if the change does not result in branching.
Item Behavior Branch on Change check box is enabled and selected for all items that can branch. Any change to a child item that can branch results in the branching of that item, unless its Branch on Change check box has been cleared. After branching, the check box is disabled.
View Type Branch All.
Root Folder Selected from parent view.
Working Folder Should be different from that of the parent, to avoid conflicts.
Configuration Other than floating (Labeled, Promotion State, or As of specific date).

Note: Addressed In Build field when the child view is created, Next Build will not be replaced by a build label until the change request branches.

Read-only Reference View (Frozen)

New Items New items cannot be added to child view. New items in parent view appear in child view.
Existing Items Existing items are the same in the child view and the parent view; they can be changed only from the parent view.
Item Behavior Branch on Change has the same setting as the parent item, but is irrelevant; no change can be made.
View Type Read-only Reference.
Root Folder Selected from parent view.
Working Folder Usually the same as that of the parent view.
Configuration Other than floating (Labeled, Promotion State, or As of specific date).

These views can be rolled back.

Non-derived View (also called Blank Branching View)

New Items New items in child view do not appear in the parent view. New items in the parent view do no appear in the child view.
Existing Items Existing items in the parent view do not appear in the child view.
Item Behavior Branch on Change check box disabled.
View Type Non-Derived.
Root Folder N/A.
Working Folder Should be different from that of the parent to avoid conflicts.
Configuration N/A.

Reference View (Also called Read/Write Reference View)

New Items New items in the child view appear in both views. New items in the parent view appear in both views if they are in the subset accessed by the child view.
Existing Items Existing items are the same in the child view and the parent view. They can be changed from either view.
Item Behavior Branch on Change has the same setting as the parent item.

Note: Labels created and objects deleted in the child view appear and disappear in the parent view; this is not true for other types of child views.

View Type Reference.
Root Folder Selected from parent view.
Working Folder Usually the same as that of the parent view.
Configuration N/A. Always floats.

Lightweight Activity View

New Items New items in the child view do not appear in the parent view. New items in the parent view do not appear in the child view.
Existing Items Existing items in the child view are the same as in parent view at the time of configuration, until the item in the child view branches. Changes cannot be made to an item in the child view if the change does not result in branching.
Item Behavior Any change to a child item results in the branching of the item. Item behavior cannot be modified.
View Type Branch-all.
Root Folder Parent view root folder.
Working Folder Should be different from that of parent to avoid conflict.
Configuration As of specific date.

Branching: Branch None (Not Floating). Not recommended.

New Items New items in the child view do not appear in the parent view; new items in the parent view do not appear in the child view.
Existing Items Existing items in the child view are the same as in the parent view at the time of configuration, until the item in the child view branches. Changes cannot be made to an item in the child view if that change does not result in branching.
Item Behavior Branch on Change check box enabled, but initially cleared.

No change to a child item that can branch results in branching until the Branch on Change check box is selected. After branching, the box is disabled.

View Type Branch None (an advanced type).
Root Folder Selected from parent view.
Working Folder Should be different from that of parent to avoid conflict.
Configuration Other than floating (Labeled, Promotion State, or As of specific date).

Note: Addressed In Build field when the child view is created, Next Build will not be replaced by a build label until the change request branches.

 

Branching: Branch None (Floating). Not recommended. Use only when a different set of view labels is needed for the same data.

New Items New items in the child view appear in the parent view; new items in the parent view appear in the child view if they are in the subset accessed by the child view. In the child view, new items from the parent have the Branch on Change check box cleared.
Existing Items Existing items are the same in the child view as in the parent view; they can be changed in either the parent or child view until the item in the child view branches. However, items deleted from one view are not deleted from the other.
Item Behavior Branch on Change check box enabled, but initially cleared

No change to a child item that can branch results in branching until the Branch on Change check box is selected. After branching, the check box is disabled.

View Type Branch None (an advanced type).
Root Folder Selected from parent view.
Working Folder Should be different from that of the parent to avoid conflicts.
Configuration Floating.

See the note below.

Branching: Branch All (Floating). Not recommended.

New Items New items in the child view do not appear in the parent view; new items in the parent view appear in both views if they are in the subset accessed by the child view. In the child view, new items from the parent have the Branch on Change check box selected.
Existing Items Changes to existing items in the parent view appear in the child view until the corresponding item in the child view branches. Changes to existing items in the child view can appear in the parent view, but only if the Branch on Change check box for that item is cleared. However, items deleted from one view are not deleted from the other.
Item Behavior Branch on Change check box is enabled and initially selected for all items that can branch.

Any change to a child item that can branch results in the branching of that item, unless its Branch on Change check box has been cleared. After branching, the box is disabled.

View Type Branch All, Float (an advanced type).
Root Folder Selected from parent view.
Working Folder Should be different from that of the parent to avoid conflicts.
Configuration Floating

See the note below.

Branching: Branch All (Floating)

New Items New items in the child view do not appear in the parent view. New items in the parent view appear in both views if they are in the subset accessed by the child view. In the child view, new items from the parent have the Branch on Change check box selected.
Existing Items Changes to existing items in the parent view appear in the child view until the corresponding item in the child view branches. Changes to existing items in the child view can appear in the parent view, but only if the Branch on Change check box for that item is cleared. However, items deleted from one view are not deleted from the other.
Item Behavior Branch on Change check box is enabled and selected for all items that can branch.

Any change to a child item that can branch results in the branching of that item, unless its Branch on Change check box has been cleared. After branching, the box is disabled.

View Type Branch All.
Root Folder Selected from parent view.
Working Folder Should be different from that of the parent to avoid conflicts.
Configuration Floating

See the note below.

Note: If users are likely to perform many move and share operations, using branching, floating views can result in multiple unwanted references to the same folders or items, causing confusion. Also, if a change request has Next Build in the

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