Perforce Software has released version 2008.2 of its Software Configuration Management (SCM) system, with enhancements to improve developer productivity and facilitate system administration. Perforce SCM versions and manages source code and digital assets for enterprises large and small.

Enhancements for developers

Perforce 2008.2 allows developers to graphically preview the effects of integrating changes between branches. Any unintended consequences or undesirable outcomes can be identified and avoided. The new merge preview displays branches side-by-side with colour-coding for individual files.

A new rollback feature allows previously submitted work -- file revisions, groups of files, and integrations -- to be easily undone. The history of the work rolled back, as well as the correction, are both maintained for future review.

Automatic server discovery enables Perforce client programs to identify all available Perforce servers on the network. A scroll-down menu lists all available servers, eliminating the need for manual configuration.

Enhancements for system administrators

Perforce 2008.2 makes it easier for system administrators to monitor SCM operations. New dashboard widgets give more complete information at a glance including the amount of disk space being used, inactive user status, and the processing time of specific SCM operations (see Figure 1 – available on request). System administrators can easily pinpoint and terminate specific SCM processes as required.

The administration tool is part of the Perforce Visual Client (P4V), the cross-platform graphical user interface available on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris and FreeBSD.

Availability & Pricing 

Perforce 2008.2 is available now. Interested developers are invited to download and evaluate Perforce free from the Perforce website. This offer includes free technical support during evaluation. 
 
Perforce pricing is all-inclusive; there are no add-on components that require licensing. End-user licenses for the complete solution, including one year of support and maintenance, start at $900 per seat; volume discounts are available. For additional price and license information, visit www.perforce.com.