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Copy/Move Matrix (Apex/Summit)

The copy/move matrix describes the results of copying and moving between different kinds of source and destination objects. There are three possible results for a copy or move operation:

Into
The source is replicated as a child of the destination. The destination must be some form of directory. The source may be a directory or file.
Onto
The source is copied over the destination. If the destination does not exist, it is created.
Error
The operation is not allowed.

Copy/Move operations cannot violate location constraints that prohibit certain types of objects from being located as children of other types. For example, subsystems cannot be nested within subsystem, and views cannot be nested within views.

The matrix below summarizes the possible results based on the kinds of the operands.

source \ dest
subsystem
view
directory
file
no object1
subsystem
Error
Error
Into
Error
Onto
view
Into
Error
Into
Error
Onto
directory
Into
Into
Into
Error
Onto
file
Into
Into
Into
Onto
Onto
1 "no object" means that the destination object does not exist prior to the copy or move operation.

Copy and move operations are also affected by the version control characteristics of the source and destination. When the source file is controlled and the destination file does not exist, the operations are also affected by the version control-oriented options that are set on the command.

Copying to an Existing Destination File

When copying to an existing destination file, the effect of the copy is dependent on whether or not the target is uncontrolled or controlled, checked in or checked out, and the same or a different logical element as the source file as shown in the following table:

source \ dest
uncontrolled
same element, checked in
same element, checked out
different element, checked in
different element, checked out
uncontrolled
Onto
Error
Onto
Error
Onto
checked-in
Onto
set_version
Onto
Error
Onto
checked-out
Onto
Error
Onto
Error
Onto

It is important to note that when the destination file exists prior to a copy, the version control characteristics are not changed by the copy. Uncontrolled files remain uncontrolled. Controlled files remain controlled and keep the same history. Checked out files remain checked out. The only characteristic that may change is the version number when the source and destination files are the same element and share the same history.

The only characteristic that might change is the version number when the source and destination files are the same element and share the same history.

Copying to a Non-existent Destination File

When the destination file does not exist prior to the copy, the destination file will, by default, have the same version control characteristics as the source file. If the source file is uncontrolled then the destination file will be uncontrolled. If the source file is controlled, the destination file will be controlled. If the source and destination files are the same element, they will share the exact same history. If the source and destination files are different elements, the destination file will have a version history which is a copy of that associated with the source file. The table below summarizes the effects:

source \ dest
same element
different element
uncontrolled
Onto
Onto
checked-in
accept_changes
Onto and copy_ history
checked-out
Error
Error

When history is copied it will have the same name and version information as the history of the source file. History may be copied within a subsystem or between subsystems. Copying a history may fail if a history with the same name already exists. When a history already exists and the last version is a deleted version, the history will be copied by appending the source history versions to the destination history. When the destination history exists and the last version is not a deleted version, the operation will fail. When an entire view is being copied, the failure to copy an individual history will result in that file being left uncontrolled. When files are being copied, but not as part of a view copy, failure to copy the history will cause the files to not be copied.


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