Checking out an element

If you use IBM® Rational® ClearCase® Remote Client for source-control operations, you must check out an element that has been added or checked in to the database to modify it.

About this task

You can check out an entire functional test project or one or more files at a time.

If you work on an element without checking it out from the ClearCase view, this version of the file is "hijacked". The hijacked file is displayed under Details of <scriptname> with the warning symbol (warning symbol) next to it. You can convert the hijacked files to check them out and work on the file when you check out an element.

Procedure

  1. From the Projects view, right-click one or more elements.
  2. From the menu, click Team > Check Out.
  3. In the Artifact column, clear the checkbox of any element you do not want to check out.
    If you see the not-ready symbol (not ready symbol) in the State column, you cannot check out an element. When you select the element, you see an explanation of the problem.
  4. If an element is hijacked, take one of these steps:
    • Click Convert hijacked files to checkout to check out the hijacked version of this file and continue working on the hijacked version. When you check in this file, you replace the version in the VOB with the hijacked version.
    • Click Keep the hijack content to check out the version of this file from the versioned object base (VOB) and stop work on the hijacked version. When you check in this file, Rational® ClearCase® Remote Client checks in the version from the VOB and creates a copy of the hijacked version with a _keep extension, in case you need the changes later.
  5. Select Reserved Checkout for a reserved checkout. If another user has already checked out the element as reserved, you cannot check out the element.

    Select Unreserved Checkout to check out the element as unreserved. A reserved checkout gives you the exclusive right to check in the element when you are finished. With an unreserved checkout, you might be required to merge your changes at checkin, if someone else checked in the same element before you. For more information, see Unreserved elements.

    Select Prefer Reserved, Unreserved if Necessary to check out the element as reserved if possible. If no other user has checked out the element as reserved, it is checked out as reserved. If any other user has already checked out the element as reserved, it is checked out as unreserved.

  6. Click Finish.

    You will see a small green check mark as a subscript to the element icon in the Functional Test Projects view, indicating that it has been checked out.