3. The File Browser : The Promote Command

The Promote Command
The Promote command sends one or more versions from one stream to another, making the versions accessible in the destination stream -- and in workspaces and streams below it. A single transaction in the AccuRev depot records the creation of the new version(s) in the destination stream.
The basic use of Promote is to take the private versions that you've created in your workspace stream and make them public by sending them to the workspace's backing stream.
Promote can also send versions from a dynamic stream to any other dynamic stream. You can do such higher-level promotion using the File Browser or StreamBrowser tool. Promoting from a stream to a non-parent ("cross-promotion") requires use of an additional tool, the Change Palette.
Real versions and virtual versions
The Promote command creates a virtual version in a dynamic stream. By contrast, the Keep command (as well as Anchor, Send to Workspace, Revert, Rename, Defunct, and the CLI-only command undefunct) creates a real version in a workspace stream. See Real Versions and Virtual Versions on page 129.
Inheritance of promoted versions
After you promote a version, it can be inherited by all dynamic streams and workspaces below the backing stream. Inheritance by dynamic streams is automatic; inheritance by a workspace occurs when the user Update's it.
Overlap status and merging
If an element has (overlap) status, you cannot promote it. You must merge your version with the version in the backing stream, to create a new, merged version. You can then promote the merged version.
Underlap status
The status (underlap) is similar to (overlap), in that an element has changed in your workspace and also in the backing stream. With (underlap), the changes in your workspace version have already been promoted to the backing stream (from another workspace, or from a stream elsewhere in the depot’s stream hierarchy). In many cases, it is most appropriate to use the Revert to Backed command to 'undo' the changes in your workspace. In other cases, you can merge and promote, as with (overlap)-status elements.
Invoking the Promote Command
You can promote versions in several contexts:
File Browser: Details pane
Select one or more elements in the Details pane of the File Browser. Then, click the button in the Details pane toolbar, or choose Promote from the selection's context menu. This promotes the versions to the backing stream.
Stream Browser (graphical display only)
Drag-and-drop the icon below a dynamic stream to any other dynamic stream to initiate a cross-promotion. The versions are loaded into the Change Palette, where you complete the promotion (perhaps after performing some merges).
Stream Browser: Default Group subwindow
In the graphical display, click the icon below a workspace or stream to open a subwindow displaying the versions currently in the default group of that workspace or stream. Select one or more versions, then:
Click the button in the subwindow toolbar (or choose Promote from the selection's context menu) to promote the versions to the backing stream.
Click the button in the subwindow toolbar (or choose Send to Change Palette from the selection's context menu) to load the versions into the Change Palette where you complete the promotion (perhaps after performing some merges).
Using the Promote Dialog
The Promote dialog provides these command options:
Comment
You can enter a comment string in the text box.
(AccuRev "seeds" the text box with your most recent Promote comment, made during the current AccuRev GUI session.) The comment string becomes a permanent annotation to the transaction that creates the new version(s) in the destination stream.
AccuRev itself does not require a comment, but your organization can establish such a requirement by putting a trigger on the Keep command.
Promote (element list)
(only for direct-promotions to the parent stream -- not for cross-promotions) All the versions you specified are listed in a table. You can deselect individual versions by clearing the checkbox in the table's Promote column. Deselected versions will not be promoted.

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