p4-stream-workflows

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name: p4-stream-workflows description: P4 stream workflows — creation, branching, merging, copying, integration, switching, and spec management via P4 MCP tools. Use when: creating streams, branching, merging, copying between streams, integrating changes, switching workspaces, or managing stream specs in P4.

Stream Workflows

Use the query_streams and modify_streams tools to manage P4 streams.

Querying Streams

Action	Purpose	Key Parameters
list	List streams under a depot path	stream_path, filter, fields, max_results
get	Get a single stream spec	stream_name
children	List child streams	stream_name
parent	Get parent stream	stream_name
graph	Get full stream hierarchy	stream_path
integration_status	Check pending integrations between stream and parent	stream_name, both_directions, force_refresh
get_workspace	Get workspace bound to a stream	stream_name, workspace
list_workspaces	List all workspaces for a stream	stream_name, user
validate_file	Check if a file path is valid in a stream	stream_name, file_paths, workspace
validate_submit	Verify a changelist is ready to submit in stream context	workspace, changelist
check_resolve	Check if resolve is needed after integration	stream_name
interchanges	List changes not yet integrated between stream and parent	stream_name, reverse, limit

Modifying Streams

Action	Purpose	Key Parameters
create	Create a new stream	stream_name, stream_type, parent, description
update	Update stream spec fields	stream_name, updated fields
delete	Delete a stream (requires approval)	stream_name
edit_spec	Open stream spec for editing	stream_name, changelist
resolve_spec	Resolve spec conflicts	stream_name, resolve_mode
revert_spec	Revert spec changes	stream_name
shelve_spec	Shelve stream spec changes	stream_name, changelist
unshelve_spec	Unshelve stream spec changes	stream_name, target_changelist

Stream Propagation (Branching & Merging)

Action	Purpose	Key Parameters
copy	Copy changes between parent/child streams	stream_name, changelist, parent_stream
merge	Merge changes between parent/child streams	stream_name, changelist, parent_stream
integrate	Integrate with custom source/target (advanced)	stream_name, changelist, parent_stream
populate	Seed a new stream with files from parent	stream_name
switch	Switch a workspace to a different stream	stream_name, workspace
create_workspace	Create a workspace bound to a stream	stream_name, workspace_name, root

Common Workflows

Create a feature branch

1. modify_streams → create a new development stream with parent = mainline
2. modify_streams → populate to seed the new stream with parent files
3. modify_streams → create_workspace bound to the new stream

Propagate changes to main

1. query_streams → interchanges to see what hasn't been merged yet
2. query_streams → integration_status to check current state
3. modify_streams → copy from child to parent (copies up)
4. query_streams → check_resolve to see if resolves are needed
5. modify_streams → resolve_spec if needed

Merge from parent to child

1. query_streams → interchanges to see pending changes
2. modify_streams → merge from parent to child (merges down)
3. Resolve any conflicts

Switch workspace streams

1. query_streams → list_workspaces to find existing workspaces
2. modify_streams → switch the workspace to the target stream

Best Practices

• Always check interchanges before merging or copying to understand what will be propagated.
• Use copy for upward propagation (child → parent) and merge for downward (parent → child).
• Use validate_submit before submitting to catch stream-related issues early.
• Use check_resolve after integration to ensure all conflicts are handled.
• populate should only be used once when seeding a newly created stream.