About file types and element types
Each element is an instance of an element type. You can specify an element type with the -eltype option. (The lstype -kind eltype command lists the element types in a VOB.) The element type must already exist in the VOB in which you are creating the new element, or must exist in the administrative VOB hierarchy associated with the VOB in which you are creating the new element. A mkelem -eltype directory command is equivalent to a mkdir command.
If you do not specify an element type on the command line, mkelem uses the magic files to determine an element type with which to perform file typing. This involves matching patterns in the name of the new element (and examining the existing view-private file with that name, if one exists). If file typing fails, an error occurs and no element is created:
cleartool: Error: Can't pick element type from rules in ...
For more information about file typing, see the cc.magic reference page in the VersionVault Command Reference.