Base ClearCase FAQ 1.3.6: How to use annotate to produce a greppable output (file elements)?

See here for directory elements.

Solution

$ CLEARCASE_TAB_SIZE=2 ct annotate -out - -nhe -fmt "%Sd %25.-25Vn %-8.8u,|,%Sd %25.-25Vn %-8.8u" -rm -rmf " D " single_build_engine.pl | grep unmv
08-Mar-05                   /main/1 vobadm16 D my $daily_build_home   = "/home/unmvbadm/RANOS_autobuild";
23-Jun-06 main/wendy_test/wran_r5/2 eeivob05 D my $daily_build_home   = "/home/unmvbadm/RANOS_autobuild/r5";
23-Aug-07 dy_test/wran_r5/wran_r6/1 eeivob05   my $daily_build_home   = "/home/unmvbadm/RANOS_autobuild/r6";
08-Mar-05                   /main/1 vobadm16     $label_owner = "unmvbadm";
08-Mar-05                   /main/1 vobadm16     if ($label_owner eq "unmvbadm") {

Problem

• Get a greppable output—annotate is in general too verbose to be useful otherwise:
  • This implies that you don't want to 'elide' prefixes from any line
  • Get rid of headers
• Align the content on the same column, after a prefix:
  • Set fixed size formats, relatively short
  • Set them wide enough to be useful, and truncate the versions from the left (align to the right)
  • Use a short tab size (2)
  • Use a short format to indicate deletions: ' D '

Notes

• You may need the -nco option in addition
• You may use -a instead of -rm. This will show versions 'outside the line of descent', but which may be interesting, e.g. if one has merged from them (which would otherwise be ignored...). Note that the -rmf option affects the 'UNRELATED' reports as well as the 'DEL' ones.

A New Alternative: Visual Annotate

You can use Visual Annotate. Just choose a file and get a visual dashboard with all information inside as well as integration with ClearCase.

-- Tamir Gefen