Cleartool find merge without contrib files

Question

Hi I wanted to know if there is a way to do cleartool findmerge without creating .contrib files. Its a nuisance to have to remove them after merging.

Answer 1

It depends on your version of ClearCase and type of merge, as detailed in this technote:

The .contrib files are generally used to compare the file's previous contents with its new after-merge version; moreover, these files are view-private and can be removed.

There has been discussion around the ability to allow the end-user to disable/enable the .contrib creation; however, with UCM, since all checkouts involved in deliver or rebase activities are reserved, there is no chance of loss changes as a result of the merge.
The .contrib file, in regards to UCM, does not serve the same purpose, or hold the same significance as with base ClearCase.

Change request (RFE) RATLC00608266, was opened to improve the logic used for leaving .contrib files after a deliver or rebase operation. There is no danger for loss of data as a result of the .contrib not getting created.

This behavior has changed in ClearCase 7.0. where feature level 5 was introduced. When using the native client, contrib files are no longer generated when merges occur during deliver and rebase (the Rational ClearCase Remote Client continues to create and use these files)

So with CC7.x and for deliver/rebase types of merge (ie UCM merges), you can aboid the contrib files.
Not with CCRC or base ClearCase merges (which is used by a cleartool findmerge).
That is why that same technote details ways to remove multiple .contrib files in one command (like for /R %i IN (*.contrib) do del %i or del /s *.contrib* for Windows).