The document introduces Helix, a new distributed version control system (DVCS) from Perforce Software. It provides an overview of Helix's features and benefits, how to get started using it for both solo and team development workflows, and demos core functions like cloning repositories, branching, merging, and pushing changes to a shared server. The presentation concludes by emphasizing Helix's capabilities for advanced DVCS use in an enterprise setting without limits on repository size.

1. Introducing Helix:
A New and Better DVCS

2. Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS
Stephanie
Turner
Perforce Software

3. John Williston
Perforce Software
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

4. Agenda
 Why Helix?
 Getting Started
 Working Solo
 Working Teams
 Q&A
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

5. Why Helix?
 Disconnected
 Local speed
 Clean history
 No limits
 Share easily
 Flexible clones
 Total security
 Threat detection
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

6. Getting Started - Installation
 DVCS features available as of 2015.1
 Install Helix components on client workstations:
• Install the Helix versioning engine (P4D)
• Non-Windows users also install the command-line client (P4)
 Install/update the Helix Versioning Engine on any shared
server(s) as well
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

7. Getting Started - Configuration
 Don’t panic: it’s easy
 DVCS features disabled by default
 Local P4 variables matter
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

8. Demo Details
 Windows 8.1 client machine
 Windows 2012 R2 server VM
 Latest Helix software on both
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

9. Demo Video
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

10. Standalone Project
 P4 init in empty folder
• Case sensitivity from P4PORT variable
 Show/explain files:
• .p4settings – Helix configuration variables
• .p4ignore – improves S/N ratio
• .p4root – hidden folder just like .git/.hg
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

11. Solo Workflow
 Show files created for a simple C++ app
 P4 status shows what work we’ve done
 P4 rec (alias) prepares it all for submit
 P4 submit saves all our work as a revision
 Delete file, make a change
 P4 rec + submit takes care of it all
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

12. Ignore
 Build the project
 Show all the “noise” files
 Copy the new ignore file
 See how they disappear
 Explain how to add and update the ignore file
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

13. Cleanup – Bad Description
 Make a change with a bad description
 Use p4 unsubmit //…/file#head
 Use resubmit –i and fix the description, then m
 Call out P4EDITOR variable is invoking Notepad++
 Problem solved!
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

14. Cleanup – Squashing Commits
 Delete the useless line from main.cpp, then fix the spelling
mistake (p4 rec / p4 submit for each)
 Now p4 unsubmit “//…@>=firstchangelist”
 p4 resubmit –i
 a to squash, c to change description, m to submit
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

15. Share Your Work
 What happens when your project takes off?
 P4 push is the command to send to a shared server
 It fails because a new, local repo knows no server
 Fix it by create a remote specification
 It fails now because the server isn’t configured
 Configure the server for DVCS operations
 Push the code successfully, p4v -p hve:1666 -u jwilliston
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

16. Working Team
• Clone easily: p4 -d clone1 clone -p hve:1666 -f //depot/newProject/...
• Unlike other systems, Helix supports narrow clones
• Shallow clone: p4 -d clone1 clone -p hve:1666 –m 1 -f
//depot/newProject/...
• Show lightweight branching: p4 switch –c dev
• Merge, resolve, submit, and push back to shared server
• Explain how other users get your work through p4 fetch
• Wrap up with assurance about big files
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

17. Conclusion
 Advanced DVCS features
 Enterprise ready
 No limits
 DVCS for everyone
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS

18. Q&A
Learn more at perforce.com/helix
John Williston: jwilliston@perforce.com
Twitter:@p4jbw
Introducing Helix: A New and Better DVCS