Finding and Breaking Locks on Items with Differences

If an item with differences is locked by another user in the target view for the merge, you will be unable to commit changes for that item in the View Compare/Merge session unless you break the lock. When you start a View Compare/Merge session, the View Compare/Merge Wizard can find the locks and break them automatically if you check that option in the wizard. However, you can also break the locks manually in the session.

Caution: Items are typically locked with exclusive locks because they are being edited. If you break another user's lock, you may cause that user to lose work. You should break another user's locks only after contacting them and in urgent cases where they cannot be contacted.

Breaking Locks Automatically When Starting a Session

To break locks automatically when you start a session, do the following:

  1. Start a View Compare/Merge session using the View Compare/Merge Wizard.
  2. On the Set Options page, check Break Locks Automatically.
  3. Check any other options you want, then click Finish to complete the wizard.

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Finding Locked Items with Differences

To find locked items with differences when using View Compare/Merge, do the following:

  1. Start a View Compare/Merge session using the View Compare/Merge Wizard.
  2. In any perspective, choose Difference > Find Next Locked, or Difference > Find Previous Locked.

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Breaking Existing Locks in a Session

To break existing locks in a session, do the following:

  1. Start a View Compare/Merge session using the View Compare/Merge Wizard.
  2. In any perspective, choose Difference > Find Next Locked, or Difference > Find Previous Locked.

  3. Right-click the item in the upper pane and choose Lock/Unlock.

    The Set My Lock Status dialog box opens.

  4. Select the Unlocked lock status option to remove the exclusive or non-exclusive lock.
  5. Check Break Existing Lock to break another team member's lock on the item.
If e-mail is enabled, StarTeam will send an e-mail message to the team member whose lock has been broken to inform him or her of this fact.

Note: You must be granted the appropriate privileges to be able to break another user's locks.