Clearcase renaming issues

Question

I am experiencing a problem with Clearcase. What happened was the following: I had a file ValidationScripts.js, and wanted to create another file in the same directory, MiscScripts.js. However, instead of creating a new file, I accidentally renamed ValidationScripts.js to MiscScripts.js. I tried to recreate the ValidationScripts.js file using merge, and now I am stuck with the same file, but with two different names: ValidationScripts.js and MiscScripts.js. So, whenever I try to change to contents of ValidationScripts.js, they are also reflected on MiscScripts.js. Is there any way to fix this?

TIA.

Answer 1

To add to Jonathan's answer, you need to check the history (cleartool lsvtree -graph) of the parent directory of ValidationScripts.js: you will see what has been added/removed in said directory.

A simple 'cleartool ls' in that directory can also show you if there is a symlink between ValidationScripts.js and MiscScripts.js.
That would be like you tried to restored a deleted file, as described in "Restore an element that has been rmnamed", but made the wrong 'cleartool ln'.

Answer 2

It isn't completely clear what you did, but what you should have done is this, assuming that the file MiscScripts.js already existed as a plain (view private) text file, and that 'ct' is an alias for cleartool:

cd /vobs/yourvob/directory
ct co -c 'Add MiscScripts.js' .
ct mkelem -c 'Miscellaneous JavaScript Script Fragments' MiscScripts.js
ct ci -nc .
ct ci -nc MiscScripts.js

Now we have to try and guess what you actually did.

I will assume you checked out the directory. You then said:

instead of creating a new file, I accidentally renamed ValidationScripts.js to MiscScripts.js

There are two possibilities:

1. mv ValidationScripts.js MiscScripts.js
2. ct mv ValidationScripts.js MiscScripts.js

To fix case 1, you should simply have run:

mv MiscScripts.js ValidationScripts.js

To fix case 2, you should either cancel the directory checkout or undo the move:

Either

ct unco -rm .

Or

ct mv MiscScripts.js ValidationScripts.js

You then go on to say:

I tried to recreate the ValidationScripts.js file using merge, and now I am stuck with the same file, but with two different names: ValidationScripts.js and MiscScripts.js.

And this has me puzzled...I can't see how merge would help. The latter comment sounds as if you did something like:

ct ln MiscScripts.js ValidationScripts.js

Without knowing exactly what you've done, it is a little difficult to know what to recommend. Key issues are:

1. Did you use ct mkelem to create a new file?
   • If you did, then we have to worry about not creating a lost entry in the VOB's lost+found directory.
   • If you did not, then life is simpler.
2. Did you checkin the directory yet?
   • If not, do not do so.
   • If you did, then we will need to work out how to get you back to the previous revision (but we no longer have to worry about lost+found files.
3. Did you checkin MiscScripts.js yet?
   • How much this matters depends in part on the answers to the prior questions.