Check Out Files: co

Use co to check out files from a StarTeam repository (or vault) to your working folder using the command line. Unless you use -o, this command pauses at each file with a Modified, Merge or Unknown status to let you know that the file will not be checked out.

Note: The functionality of the bulk checkout utility (BCO) has been fully added to co. BCO is no longer distributed with this version of StarTeam.

Syntax

The syntax for this command is:

stcmd{Ex} co [-p ["projectSpecifier"] [-epwdfile |-epwdfile "filename"]
[-cmp] [-encrypt RC4, RC2_ECB, RC2_CBC, RC2_CFB] [-cacheAgentThreads number]
[—useMPXCacheAgent | -useCA host:port | autolocate]] ]
[-cfgl "label" | -cfgp "promotion state" | -cfgd "date"] [-is]
[-pattern "datepattern"] [-rp "directory" | -fp "directory"] [-frp]
[-filter "filter"] [-o] [-e] [-l | -u | -nel] [-break] [-ro | -rw]]
[-vl "name" [-attached] | -vd "date" | -vn number | -vp "name"] [ –chgpkgid 1234567 ] 
[-cp "name"] [-exclude <pattern> | #<pattern file>] [-cwf] [-f NCO | NCD]
[-ts] [-eol [ on | off | cr | lf | crlf | platform]] [-fs] [-q | -vb | -pf
"filterName"]
[-ofp "resultsOutputFilePath] [-uv] [-iip] [files...] 
Parameter
Description
-p
Indicates the view or folder to be used. It also provides the user name and password needed to access the server. -p is retained for backward compatibility. Commands using -p continue to work, but are stateless. Each command opens a connection, executes the command syntax, and closes the connection. (New command line scripts may take advantage of the command line's stateful nature. See connect and set for examples. Old scripts may be migrated to the new command line syntax.) Stateless commands cause more client server traffic than stateful commands.
Note: If the clear text password contains the @ or the : symbols, then it cannot be specified through -p using the syntax username:password@host:port. The @ or :symbols will conflict with the syntax and cause the command to fail. In general, passwords with special characters in them such as @, :, ,, must be stored in the password file using the store-password command. Additionally, the password, when specified for storage in the encrypted file, must be quoted. For example: stcmd store-password -password "foo@bar" -epwdfile c:\tmp\pwdfl. Passwords stored in an encrypted password file can be used in conjunction with -p or the connect command as documented.

The full syntax is:

stcmd -p "userName:password@hostName:endpoint/projectName/[viewName/][folderHierarchy/]"

For example:

stcmd -p “bsmith:rocketfive@orion:49201/StarDraw/StarDraw/SourceCode/”
  • If the user name is omitted, the current user name is used.
  • If the password is omitted, the user is prompted to enter the password. When the user types a password, the characters are not displayed on the screen.
  • If the host name is omitted, the default is localhost.
  • Entering an endpoint (port number) is required. The default is 1024.
  • The project name is always required.
  • A view hierarchy should be used to identify the view. Use the colon (:) as a delimiter between view names. The view hierarchy should always include the root view. For example, "StarDraw:Release 4:Service Packs" indicates that the view to be used is the Service Packs view, which is a child of the Release 4 view and a grandchild of the StarDraw root view. If the view name is omitted, the root view is used. If the view is the only view in that project with that name, you can use only the view name. Doing this is not recommended, however, because another view with that name could be created at a later date.
  • A folder hierarchy should be used to identify the folder. Use the forward slash (/) as a delimiter between folder names. The folder hierarchy never includes the root folder. Omit the folder hierarchy if the file is in the view’s root folder. For example, if the root folder of the view is StarDraw, and the hierarchy to your files is StarDraw/SourceCode/Client, use only "SourceCode/Client".
-epwdfile

The -epwdfile keyword specifies the path to the file that contains the encrypted password. Like -pwdfile , -epwdfile replaces the password being used as part of the -p or -s option, preventing others from seeing the user's password on the command line. The full syntax is: -epwdfile "filePath" .

The -pwdfile is supported for backward compatibility. Un-encrypted passwords stored using older versions of stcmd are read. However, passwords cannot be stored to files using -pwdfile anymore.

Note: When -epwdfile is used, a password should not be specified as part of the -p or -sparameter.

In this case, the syntax of -p or -s reduces to -p "username@hostname:port/... -epwdfile "fullyQualifiedPathToPasswordFile"".

The following is the syntax of the commands that can be used to store an encrypted password.

Use the following syntax to be prompted for the password that will be encrypted and stored in a file.

stcmd store-password -epwdfile "filePath"
Use the following syntax to include the encrypted password in the command as clear text.
Note: This action does not access the network with the clear value.
stcmd store-password -epwdfile "filePath" -password "password"

After an encrypted password is stored, other stcmd commands can specify -epwdfile "filePath"' as parameters. For example:

stcmd delete-local -p "JMarsh@Orion:1024/StarDraw/StarDraw/SourceCode" -epwdfile "C:\estuff\myfile.txt" -filter "N" "*"
Important:

If -p or -s and -epwdfile are used together, then the parameter :password must be omitted from -p. For example:

-p user@hostname:port/projectName.viewName -epwdfile "pathToPasswordFile"
-cmp

Compresses all the data sent between the workstation and the server and decompresses it when it arrives. Without this option, no compression takes place.

Compression speeds transmission across the network, but it takes time on the front end to compress the data and at the back end to decompress the data.

This is an optional parameter. If not specified, then the platform default is not to compress.

-encrypt

Encrypts all data sent between the workstation and the server and decrypts it when it arrives. Without this option, no encryption takes place. Encryption protects files, data and other project information from being read by unauthorized parties over unsecured networks.

This is an optional parameter. If not specified, then the server and the command line negotiate the encryption required by the server.

The full syntax is: -encrypt encryptionType.

The types of encryption are:

RC4
RSA RC4 stream cipher (fast).
RC2_ECB
RSA RC2 block cipher (Electronic Codebook).
RC2_CBC
RSA RC2 block cipher (Cipher Block Chaining).

These encryption types are ordered from fastest to slowest. Each of the slower encryption types is safer than the one preceding it.

Note: For platforms other than Microsoft Windows, the public and private keys used in the encryption process are not created automatically. They are stored in a file in the user’s home directory. This options file is named .starteam. It contains a variable or shell variable called keyfile. The keyfile variable specifies the location of the file that contains the public and private keys. If you do not specify the keyfile variable, an error occurs. When you specify the keyfile variable, but the file does not exist, the StarTeam Cross-Platform Client generates a random pair of keys, creates the file, and stores the keys in it. Be sure to secure this file. For example, in UNIX, only its owner should be able to read it.
-pattern
Qualifies the datetime. It can be specified wherever a date-time is specified, such as -cfgd, -vd, etc. The pattern must match any valid pattern supported by the java JDK in java.text.SimpleDateFormat.applyLocalizedPattern(String). The pattern may be localized.
For every command that takes a -pattern parameter, a -locale parameter is optionally available. This is the "two character country code".
-cacheAgentThreads
The number of threads allocated to the checkout.
-useMPXCacheAgent
Ir true, and if a cache agent is available, then use it.
useCA

Provides an address. host:port specifies the actual known address of the cache agent. useCA either can be used in the context of a known cache agent address port or turns on autolocate.

autlocate
StarTeam automatically gets the cache agent.
-cfgl
Configures the view using the specified label. Without -cfgl, -cfgp, or -cfgd, the view’s current configuration is used.
-cfgp
Configures the view using the specified promotion state.
-cfgd
Configures the view as of the specified date/time. Examples include:

"12/29/13 10:52 AM"

"December 29, 2013 10:52:00 AM PST"

"Monday, December 29, 2013 10:52:00 AM PST"

-is
Applies the command to all child folders. Without this option, the command applies only to the specified folder. When this option is used with add-folder, you can add an entire branch of folders to the StarTeam folder hierarchy.

When used with add or ci, the command recursively visits all modified files in all sub-folders and checks them in.

-rp

Overrides the working folder or working directory for the StarTeam view’s root folder.

While this option allows you to use a different working folder than the one specified by the StarTeam view, its critical importance is to provide cross-platform compatibility. For example, UNIX and Microsoft Windows systems specify drive and directory path names in incompatible ways.

While the path D:\MYPRODUCT\DEVELOPMENT\SOURCE is understood on a Microsoft Windows platform, it is not understood on a UNIX platform. Use this option to define the working path if your platform does not understand the path specified in the StarTeam project.

The UNIX shell interprets a backslash (\) as an escape character when it precedes certain characters, such as quotation marks. As a result, an error occurs in the following example:

stcmd ci -p "xxx" -rp "C:\" "*"

which is interpreted as:

stcmd ci -p "xxx" -rp "C:" *"

To avoid a situation like this, escape the final character in "C:\" as follows:

stcmd ci -p "xxx" -rp "C:\\" "*"

Or avoid it as follows when the -rp path doesn’t end with the root folder as in "C:\orion\":

stcmd ci -p "xxx" -rp "C:\orion" "*"

The full syntax is: -rp "folderName" .

Folder is the Microsoft Windows term and appears in the StarTeam user interface. Directory is the correct term for the UNIX platform.

-fp

Overrides the specified StarTeam folder’s working folder or working directory. This is equivalent to setting an alternate working path for the folder.

While this option allows you to use a different working folder than the one specified by the StarTeam view, its critical importance is to provide cross-platform compatibility. For example, UNIX and Microsoft Windows systems specify drive and directory path names in incompatible ways.

While the path D:\MYPRODUCT\DEVELOPMENT\SOURCE is understood on a Microsoft Windows platform, it is not understood on a UNIX platform. Use this option to define the working path if your platform does not understand the path specified in the StarTeam project.

A backslash (\) is interpreted as an escape character when it precedes quotation marks. As a result, an error occurs in the following example:

stcmd ci -p "xxx" -fp "C:\" "*"

which is interpreted as:

stcmd ci -p "xxx" -fp "C:" *"

To avoid a situation like this, escape the final character in "C:\" as follows:

stcmd ci -p "xxx" -fp "C:\\" "*"

Or avoid it as follows when the -rp path doesn’t end with the root folder as in C:\orion\:

stcmd ci -p "xxx" -fp "C:\orion" "*"

The full syntax is: -rp "folderName".

Folder is the Microsoft Windows term and appears in the StarTeam user interface. Directory is the correct term for the UNIX platform.

-frp
Forces the specified relative path. When used, the -frp parameter ensures that the entire folder tree is successfully checked out relative to the root folder, either with the default or via the -rp root path override.

For example, if the default root folder path is c:\stardraw, then the command co -p "Administrator:Adiministrator@localhost:49201"/StarDraw -is -frp checks out the entire folder tree recursively to c:\stardraw.

If the path is overridden using the -rp command, such as co -p "Administrator:Adiministrator@localhost:49201"/StarDraw -is -rp "c:\temp" -frp, the entire stardraw folder tree gets checked out to c:\temp.

-frp does nothing if the entire folder tree is already relative to the root folder.

However, consider the StarDraw example. If the sub-folder Source Code default path is set to a mapped drive on a machine, for example, e:\\StarDraw or a UNC path (\\MicroFocus Build Server\) and you run the command line on a different machine from where the mapped drive or the UNC path is unreachable, the co command without -frp will throw an exception.

With -frp, the command will succeed, the Source Code folder and all descendant sub-folders are created relative to its parent, and the files in the folder hierarchy are checked out.

-filter
Specifies a string of one or more characters, each of which represents a file status. Never include spaces or other white space in this string. Only files that currently have the specified status(es) will be actioned. Does not apply to files that are Not In View.
  • C = Current
  • M = Modified
  • O = Out of date
  • N = Not In View
  • I = Missing
  • G = Merge
  • U = Unknown
For example, using CM applies a command only to files with a status of Current or Modified.
-filter takes precedence over -f NCI. If you use G, O, or U, you must also specify -I or -o. Otherwise the G, O, or U is ignored.
-filter also takes precedence over -f NCO. If you use G, M, or U, you must also specify -o to force the checkout operation. Otherwise, the G, M, or U is ignored.
-o
Forces a check-in/check-out depending on which command is used. -o is supported with -filter and -f NCD, but not with -f NCO.
-e
If specified, -e throws an exception if -filter includes M, G, or U and any of the identified file statuses match Merge, Modified, or Unknown. The thrown exception will prevent all other files from being checked out as well.
-l | -u | -nel
Locks the item(s). -l is exclusive lock, -u is unlocked, and -nel is non exclusive lock. These items are mutually exclusive and an optional parameter.
-break
Breaks the current lock by another user if you have the access rights to break locks.
-ro
Makes the working file read-only after this operation. Without this option, the file remains as it was prior to the operation. Usually, you use -ro to prevent yourself from editing a file that is not locked by you. -ro must be used with -l or-u or -nel. If you use -ro, you cannot use -rw.
-rw
Makes the working file read-write after this operation. Without this option, the file remains as it was prior to the operation. -rw must be used with -l or -u or -nel. If you use -rw, you cannot use -ro.
-vl
Specifies a label (created using stcmd label) to be applied to the checked-in files. The label is enclosed in double quotation marks. This option can appear in the command more than once. The label can be either a view or revision label, but it must already exist in the application.
-attached
May be specified, but only in conjunction with -vl "label name". When -vl is specified, and if -attached is also specified, then only those files which are attached to the label (identified by -vl) will be checked out, and specifically at the tip revision.

If -attached is not specified, its default value is always false.

-attached used in conjunction with -vl "label name" alters the fundamental behavior of the co command.

If -attached is false (the default), the files to be checked out are identified by the file(s) pattern specified by the co command, -vl specifies the revisions of the subset of files attached to the label.

-vd
Specifies the as-of date/time used to identify the revisions to be checked out. The last revision before the specified date/time is the one checked out for each file. See the date/time examples for -cfgd.
-vn
Specifies the revision number
-vp
Specifies the promotion state.
-chgpkgid

If specified, the checkout is based on a committed change package, with the specified view member ID.

All files attached to that change package are checked out at the revisions they were at when the change package was committed. A change package checkout is a targeted sub-set of files checked out from history, at a revision timestamp equal to the change package commit time.

-cp
Name of the code page used for localization and internationalization of the content, file and folder names, keyword expansion, etc. Supported code page names are US-ASCII (the default), UTF-8, UTF-16, windows-1252, ISO-8859-1, ISO-8859-9, ISO-8859-15, windows-31j, EUC-JP, Shift_JIS, ISO-2022-JP, x-mswin-936, GB18030, x-EUC-CN, GBK.
-exclude <pattern> | #<patternFile>

Exclude files or folders whose names match a pattern (or set of patterns). This is supported for compatibility with bulk check out. You can either specify the pattern inline -exclude <pattern> or you can specify a set of patterns in a file -exclude#patternFile.

A pattern can be an exact file or folder name or it may contain wildcard characters (e.g., '*.class').

To specify a folder name, precede the pattern name with a forward-slash (e.g., '/ bin'). A single pattern can be provided with -exclude. Alternatively, one or more patterns can be specified on separate lines of the given <pattern file> (prefixed with # ).

Pattern file names may be fully qualified with their path on the file system, e.g. #"c:\temp\patternfile.txt" or relative to the current folder e.g. #"patternfile.txt".

If executed from stcmd.exe, the entire string #pathToPatternFile must be placed inside "" e.g "#c:/temp/patternfile.txt" or "#patternfile.txt".

If executed through stcmdEx.jar, then the # symbol precedes the double quotes.

In either case, pattern file names must be enclosed in double quotation marks. "…"

If the pattern matches a folder path, then all files in that folder path will be excluded.

Finally, a pattern may also be a fully or partially qualified path to a file in StarTeam without wildcards, e.g. /StarDraw/External Resources/StarDraw.ico

If the pattern matches an exact file name, then all instance of that file name, no matter where they are in the folder tree, will be excluded.

In this case, only the file that exactly matches the parent folder path will be excluded.

Note: To exclude a folder tree containing files and sub-folders, append /* to the 'root' of the tree. For example, if your folder tree is /StarDraw/External resource/Documentation, and you want to exclude the tree rooted at 'External resource', specify /External resource/* in the pattern file.
Note: When using stcmd.exe, always encase the entire pattern #patternFile in double quotes. For example, "#c:/folder/folder too/file"

When using stcmdEx.jar, encase just the patternFile in double quotes. For example, #"c:/folder/folder too/file"

This syntactic difference arises from the way special characters (such as #) are handled in C/C++ as opposed to Java, in the context of the Windows Operating System.

-cwf
Create working folders from StarTeam folders, even if they do not contain any files. This is supported for compatibility with bulk check out.
Note: -cwf will only create the working folder for the specified folder. Use -is with -cwf to create working folders for all child folders.
-f NCO
Specifies the check-out of any file whose status is Missing or Out of Date. NCO stands for “needs check-out.” No other files are selected for check-out.

-f NCO is ignored if -filter is used.

Note: -f NCO and -f NCD are mutually exclusive.
-f NCD
Specifies the check-out of any file whose status is Missing or Out of Date and the deletion of all not-in-view files in the workspace. NCD stands for "needs check-out and delete".

-f NCD is ignored if -filter is used.

Note: -f NCD and -f NCO are mutually exclusive.
-ts
Sets each working file’s time stamp to the check-out time. Without this option, the file is given the same time stamp as the checked-in revision of the file.
-fts
Sets each working folder time stamp to the check-out time. Without this option, the folder is given the same time stamp as the checked-in revision of the folder.
-iip
Ignores invalid path. If this parameter is specified, and if the folder path in the command is specified and invalid, then the command will exit successfully without throwing an exception.
-eol
Automatically convert end-of-line markers. Use [cr|lf|crlf|off|platform].

When on, text files are transferred from the StarTeam Server’s repository to the workstation’s working folder with the end-of-line convention for the platform executing the command as determined by the Java VM.

When off, the default, no end-of-line conversion is performed. Using off is the same as not using -eol at all.

For Microsoft Windows clients, the end-of-line marker is a carriage return/line feed (crlf) combination. For UNIX platforms, it is a line feed (lf). For MAC systems, a carriage return (cr).

You would set this option to on or lf, for example, when you compare a file from the repository and a working file on a UNIX system (if the repository stores text files as crlf).

Note: If a file has a fixed EOL value set in StarTeam, then cr, lf and crlf are all ignored, and the file is always checked out using the set (fixed) eol value. To override this behavior, pick -eol platform.
Note: When -eol platform is selected, then all files are checked out using the platform specific eol, whether or not they are marked fixed for a different platform.
-fs
Prevents file statuses from being remembered after the check-out occurs. Subsequent status values for these files will be incorrect and indeterminate. Use this option where a file’s status is irrelevant. For example, if you routinely delete the working folders before checking out files for a build, there are no files and their statuses do not matter.

Additionally, with per folder status repository in use on the local machine, if files are checked out to empty working folders, empty .sbas folders will not be left on disk.

Be aware that the file statuses may never be known, even if you use the update-status command later. You can do a force check out without the -fs option to obtain current files with correct statuses.

-q
Enables quiet mode. The -q option is retained for backward compatibility with the old command line. If -q is specified, then -pf cannot be specified. The command will return no results.
-vb
Verbose mode kept for backward compatibility with bulk check out. If -vb is specified, the list of all files considered for checkout is returned with the per file number of bytes checked out, the time taken for the checkout, and whether a specified cache agent could be leveraged to check the content out. In addition, if the file was not current prior to the checkout, the file status on disk is also recorded.
-pf
Specifies the filter name whose associated filter properties produce the columns in the output matrix. Each command returns a result matrix. -pf determines the matrix columns. See -ofp for more information. If not specified, the primary descriptor property of the Type is returned as the command output. -pf does not apply to the select query command.
-ofp

Provides a file name with a fully qualified path into which to write the command output. By default, a "|" character separates each column in the output. A new line separates each row. The first row is the command name. The second row has the property names. All subsequent rows contain the data. If the file already exists, the output is appended to the end of the file.

It is possible to override the "|" character separator by specifying separator = fieldSeparator as a parameter to the connect command.

For example, separator = ;; specifies two adjacent semicolons ( ; ) as the column separator.

-uv
If this parameter is specified, then only user-visible folders on the local client machine (set via the StarTeam Cross-Platform Client) will be checked out.
files...

Specifies the files to be used in the command by name or by file name-pattern specification, such as "*.c". All options are interpreted using the semantic conventions of UNIX instead of Windows because UNIX conventions are more specific. This means that "*", rather than "*.*" means “all files.” The pattern "*.*" means “all files with file name extensions.” For example, “star*.*” finds starteam.doc and starteam.cpp, but not starteam. To find all of these, you could use "star*".

Without this option, the default is "*". When used, this option must always be the last option. Any options after it are ignored.

If you use *, rather than "*" to indicate all files, a UNIX shell expands it into a series of items and passes this series as a group of options to the stcmd command. This can cause problems, for example, when you are checking out missing files, so it is best to use "*" to avoid unwanted complications.

If you use a set of file patterns, each pattern should be enclosed in its own set of quotation marks. For example, you can use "*.bat" "*.c", but you cannot use "*.bat *.c".

Note: Always enclose this option in quotation marks. Failure to do so can result in unpredictable consequences on all supported platforms.

Several special characters can be used in the file specification:

*
Matches any string including the empty string. For example, * matches any file name, with or without an extension. "xyz*" will match "xyz" and "xyz.cpp" and "xyzutyfj".
?
Matches any single character. For example, "a?c" will match "abc" but NOT "ac".
[...]
Matches any one of the characters enclosed by the left and right brackets.
-
A pair of characters separated by a hyphen (-) specifies a range of characters to be matched.

If the first character following the right bracket ( [ ) is an exclamation point (!) or a caret ( ^ ), the rest of the characters are not matched. Any character not enclosed in the brackets is matched. For example, "x[a-d]y" matches "xby" but not "xey". "x[!a-d]y" matches "xey" but not "xby".

A hyphen (-) or right bracket ( ] ) may be matched by including it as the first or last character in the bracketed set.

To use an asterisk (*), question mark (?), or left bracket ( [ ) in a pattern, you must precede it with the escape character (which is the backslash (\).

Examples

The following example uses co to lock and check out .doc files from User Manual, a child of the root folder StarDraw (in the StarDraw view of the StarDraw project):

stcmd co -p "JMarsh:password@Orion:1024/StarDraw/StarDraw/User Manual" -l "*.doc"

The next example uses co to merge a readme file:

stcmd co -p "NTesla:@10.50.5.179:49201/WebDev/WebDev" -encrypt RC4 -fp  "/export/home0/johnson/working" -merge "README"

Either use the -p with co (as above) or the stateful connect and set commands (below) to set the context of the project/view/parent folder:

stmcd connect JMarsh:password@Orion:1024
stcmd set project = StarDraw view = StarDraw folderHierarchy = " StarDraw/User Manual"
stcmd co -l "*.doc"
stcmd disconnect

stcmd supports both stateless (using -p) and stateful (connect…, set…, {commands}, disconnect) models.

The stateless approach causes each command to connect, set the project, execute the command, and then disconnect.

The stateful approach requires the script author to manage the connect, set and disconnect. However, this has the advantage of supporting multiple commands for execution within the context of a given connect, set, and disconnect session.

The next example uses stcmd co to checkout all files, recurse through the entire folder tree (-is) and return (for the set of checked out files) the set of all property values described by the property filter -pf:

stcmd co -p " JMarsh:password@Orion:1024 /StarDraw" -is -pf \"<All Files By Status>\"

This example checks out files from a historical point in time, rolled back to a view configuration based on the label label abc:

stcmd co -p " JMarsh:password@Orion:1024 /StarDraw" -cfgl "label abc" -is -pf \"<All Files By Status>\"