Define filetypes with p4 typemap

P4 Server uses the filesys.binaryscan configurable to determine how many bytes to examine when determining if a file is of type text or binary. By default, filesys.binaryscan is 65536. If the high bit is clear in the first 65536 bytes, P4 Server assumes it to be text. Otherwise, it is assumed to be binary.

Files compressed in the .zip format, including .jar files, are also automatically detected and assigned the type ubinary.

This default behavior can be overridden with the -t filetype flag. Users might overlook this consideration where filetypes are usually detected correctly. For example, RTF (Rich Text Format) and Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) can start with a series of comment fields or other textual data. If these comments are sufficiently long, such files can be erroneously detected by P4 Server as being of type text.

The p4 typemap command enables you to set up a table that links P4 Server file types with filename specifications. If an entry in the typemap table matches a file being added, it overrides the file type that would otherwise be assigned by the P4 Server application. For example, to treat all PDF and RTF files as binary, use p4 typemap to modify the typemap table as follows:

Typemap:
        binary //....pdf
        binary //....rtf

The first three periods ("...") in the specification are a P4 Server wildcard specifying that all files beneath the root directory are to be included in the mapping. The fourth period and the file extension specify that the specification applies to files ending in .pdf (or .rtf).

Consider these P4 Server file types and modifiers for common file extensions:

File type	P4 Server file type	Description
`.asp`	`text`	Active server page file.
`.avi`	`binary+F`	Video for Windows file.
`.bmp`	`binary`	Windows bitmap file.
`.btr`	`binary`	Btrieve database file.
`.cnf`	`text`	Conference link file.
`.css`	`text`	Cascading style sheet file.
`.docx`	`binary`	Microsoft Word document.
`.dotx`	`binary`	Microsoft Word template.
`.exp`	`binary+w`	Export file or Microsoft Visual C++
`.gif`	`binary+F`	GIF graphic file.
`.gz`	`binary+F`	Gzip compressed file.
`.htm`	`text`	HTML file.
`.html`	`text`	HTML file.
`.ico`	`binary`	Icon file.
`.inc`	`text`	Active Server include file.
`.ini`	`text+w`	Initial application settings file.
`.jpg`	`binary`	JPEG graphic file.
`.js`	`text`	JavaScript language source code file.
`.lib`	`binary+w`	Library file.
`.log`	`text+w`	Log file.
`.mpg`	`binary+F`	MPEG video file.
`.pdf`	`binary`	Adobe PDF file.
`.pdm`	`text+w`	SAP Power Designer file.
`.pptx`	`binary`	Microsoft PowerPoint file.
`.prefab`	`binary`	Unity3D file.
`.xlsx`	`binary`	Microsoft Excel file.

Use the following p4 typemap table to map all of the file extensions to the P4 Server file types recommended in the preceding table.

Copy


# Perforce File Type Mapping Specifications.
#
#  TypeMap:     a list of filetype mappings; one per line.
#               Each line has two elements:
#               Filetype: The filetype to use on 'p4 add'.
#               Path:     File pattern which will use this filetype.
# See 'p4 help typemap' for more information.
TypeMap:

        text //....asp
        binary+F //....avi
        binary //....bmp
        binary //....btr
        text //....cnf
        text //....css
        binary //....docx
        binary //....dotx
        binary+w //....exp
        binary+F //....gif
        binary+F //....gz
        text //....htm
        text //....html
        binary //....ico
        text //....inc
        text+w //....ini
        binary //....jpg
        text //....js
        binary+w //....lib
        text+w //....log
        binary+F //....mpg
        binary //....pdf
        text+w //....pdm
        binary //....ppt
        binary //....xlsx

If a file type requires the use of more than one file type modifier, specify the modifiers consecutively. For example, binary+lFS10 refers to a binary file with exclusive-open (l), stored in full (F) rather than compressed, and for which only the most recent ten revisions are stored (S10).

For learn more, see the p4 typemap page in the P4 CLI Reference.