Process Template Customization Objects and Elements for VSTF 2010 Beta 1

This post provides an inventory of the process template files, data elements, and other objects and other artifacts that you can customize with Visual Studio Team System 2010 Team Suite Beta 1. Process templates provide a blueprint for the New Team Project Creation wizard to create the objects and artifacts that support the processes a team should follow. When you create a team project, the files contained in the process template are used to configure the initial states of many elements. When you have specific processes that you want supported by all the team projects that you will create, you may want to customize one or more areas of a process template.

The information contained in this inventory is based on the Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) Agile Software Development v5.0 process template that is available with Visual Studio Team System 2010 Team Suite Beta 1. For an overview of this process template, see Team Foundation Server Process Templates For Effective Project Management. For a list of the plug-in files contained in the MSF Agile process template, see Process Template Plug-in Files for MSF Agile 5.0 Software Development. Third parties can write plug-ins for the New Team Project Creation wizard that could consume their own custom process templates elements. 

Each of the following areas contains process template plug-ins and additional files. Many elements defined through the process template can be updated through Visual Studio, Team Explorer, or other user interface (UI). Others elements can be exported, modified, and imported based on an XML definition file, or other file type.

• Creating a Team Project
• Process Guidance, Work Products, and Dashboards
• Reports
• Testing an Application (New in VSTF 2010)
• Building an Application (New in VSTF 2010)
• Versioning Source Code
• Visual Studio Team System Lab Management (New in VSTF 2010)

This list is a work in progress. The goal is to create an end-to-end list of objects that can be customized and the tools that support customization for each. The second objective that will be addressed later is to provide guidance about how to keep the various elements in sync with each other when any one element is customized. As more information becomes available, this list will be updated accordingly.

Legend:

• A  under UI indicates that the element can be modified through a user interface application AFTER the team project has been created.
• A under UI indicates that the element cannot be modified through a user interface application AFTER the team project has been created.
• A under MSF Agile 5.0 Process Template indicates that initial configurations may be defined through a process template file.

Links to more information

The links provided in the last column of each table are primarily to content that was released in May 2009 for Visual Studio Team System 2010 Beta 1. Some content and updates to existing content to cover all new features is still under development.

Process Template Plug-in Files for MSF Agile 5.0 Software Development

The process template plug-in files define the tasks to be run when creating a team project and upload the process template files that are not plug-ins. To customize a plug-in file, you must edit the corresponding xml file.

• Process Template.xml
• Build.xml (New in VSTF 2010)
• Classification.xml
• GroupsandPermissions.xml
• Lab.xml (New in VSTF 2010)
• Reports.xml
• TestManagement.xml (New in VSTF 2010)
• VersionControl.xml
• WssTasks.xml
• WorkItems.xml

Creating a Team Project

The following process template files are used to create a team project by defining the initial classifications, group roles and permissions, and work item tracking objects.

File or Element	UI	File Type	MSF Agile 5.0 Process Template	Description	Links to more information
ProcessTemplate		.xml (plug-in)		Defines the set of process template plug-ins to be run when creating a team project.	Process Template Architecture
Classification
Classification		.xml (plug-in)		Configures a team project's initial area and iteration paths; uploads the Project field mapping file.	Classification Process Template Plug-in
---Area Path				A node on the Common Structure Service hierarchy that represents a feature area.	How to: Create and Modify Areas or Iterations
---Iteration Path				A hierarchy of events in the project life cycle.	How to: Create and Modify Areas or Iterations
FileMapping		.xml		Specifies the file that defines how fields are mapped for Microsoft Office Project to Team Foundation.	Customizing Office Project Field Mappings
Security
Groups and Permissions		.xml (plug-in)		Configures custom groups or roles and their permissions for a team project. This is in addition to the default groups and permissions defined by Team Foundation Server.	Groups and Permissions Process Template Plug-in
---Groups				A group is a collection of users who have the same security requirements in a project or collection.	Managing Groups
---Permissions				You control what tasks users can perform by specifying group membership and permissions.	Managing Permissions
Work Item Tracking					Customizing Project Tracking Data, Forms, Workflow, and Other Objects
WorkItems		.xml (plug-in)		Uploads the work item types, link types, categories, and queries defined in the process template. Also, configures the initial team query folders and permissions and creates initial tasks or work items for a team project.	Work Item Tracking Process Template Plug-in
Work Item Types		.xml		Defines the process template's work item types that are imported to a team project.	Working with Work Item Types (Note: For previous versions of Visual Studio Team Foundation, the Process Editor provided in Team Foundation Server Power Tools can be used to customize work item types through a user interface.)
---Data Fields				Data fields are defined within each work item type. You add new data fields to a work item type.	Customizing and Using Work Item Fields
---Workflow				Workflow is defined for each work item type.	Defining and Customizing Work Item Workflow
---Work Item Form				Work item forms are defined for each work item type.	Designing and Customizing a Work Item Form
Link Types (New in VSTF 2010)		.xml		Defines the default link types available for a team project.	Customizing How Work Items are Related through Link Types
Global Lists		.xml		Defines a pick list that is shared across work item types and team projects. Note: No global lists are defined in the MSF Agile Software Development v5.0 process template.	Working with Global Lists
Categories (New in VSTF 2010)		.xml		Defines the initial categories available for a team project.	Grouping Work Items into Categories
Queries		.wiq		Defines the initial work item team queries available for a team project.	Queries for Work Items Queries can be modified using Team Explorer or Team System Web Access and saved as a .wiq file, see Finding Bugs, Tasks, and Other Work Items. Also, queries can be defined using the work item query language, see Syntax for the Work Item Query Language.

Process Guidance, Work Products, and Dashboards

The following process template files are used to define the team project portal based on the process template used to create the team project.

The following process template files are used to configure the initial reports available for the team project. Some of the reports use SQL Server Reporting Services and can be found in Team Explorer under the reports folder for a team project.

Testing an Application (New in VSTF 2010)

The following process template files are used to configure the initial states for Microsoft Test and Lab Manager. Microsoft Test and Lab Manager is available when you download Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Beta 1, and will be available in the releases of Visual Studio® Team Test 2010 and Visual Studio® Team Test 2010 Essentials.

Building an Application (New in VSTF 2010)

The following process template file and build elements are used to configure the Team Foundation Build Service which is available when you download Visual Studio Team System 2010 Team Foundation Server Beta 1.

File or Element	UI	File Type	MSF Agile 5.0 Process Template	Description	Links to more information
Build		.xml (plug-in)		Configures the build roles and permissions for a team project and uploads the build templates.	Content under development.
Build Roles and Permissions
Build Templates		.xaml		Defines build process and upgrade templates used when defining build definitions.	Content under development.
Build Definitions		.proj		Customized build definitions.	How to: Create a Basic Build Definition
---Build Targets				Defines the build targets for a build definition.	Customizable Team Foundation Build Targets
---Build Properties				Defines the build properties for a build definition.	Customizable Team Foundation Build Properties
---Build Controllers					How to: Create a Basic Build Definition
---Build Agents					How to: Create a Basic Build Definition
---Build Numbers					How to: Customize Build Numbers

Versioning Source Code

The following process template file and version control elements are used to configure Team Foundation version control which is installed when you install Visual Studio Team System 2010 Team Foundation Server Beta 1.

Visual Studio Team System Lab Management (New in VSTF 2010)

Visual Studio Team System Lab Management is a new member of the Visual Studio Team System 2010 family of products. Lab Management enables you to create, store, and track virtual environments for use in application development, deployment, and testing.

Additional Resources

• Visual Studio 2010 Beta 1 Download Options
• Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Beta 1
• Agile Planning Tools In Visual Studio Team System 2010
• Enabling New Features of Visual Studio Team System 2010 Beta 1 in Upgraded Team Projects
• How to: Create a Team Project

End-to-End Guidance When Customizing Visual Studio Team Foundation

Thank you for all the comments and responses you sent. I received several detailed emails as well as posted comments that provided useful insight into the challenges that you face when customizing VIsual Studio Team Foundation.

A common theme in several of your responses pointed to a need to track all the different elements that can be customized from an end-to-end perspective.

Here is a summary of the customization scenarios that you indicated are important:

• Customizing  work item work flow - states, reasons, roles, and transitions.
• Customizing  VSTF to meet process requirements AND updating process to leverage VSTF  features.
• End-to-end guidance  that addresses iteration and area paths, work item tracking, queries,  reporting, dashboards, and process guidance.
• End-to-end guidance  that addresses work item tracking, version control, test, and build.
• End-to-end guidance  for customizing an existing process template.
• Guidance on keeping customized areas in sync.
• Add fields and then use them in reports and data warehouse reporting.
• Keeping/knowing what to keep in sync when customizing a work item tracking object.
• Updating reports to reflect information tracked with customized work items.
• Creating and viewing hierarchies of customized work items.
  The good news here is that VSTF 2010 Beta 1 addresses this with the addition of specific  link types and the ability to add customize link types. For more information, see Customizing How Work Items are Related through Link Types.
• Managing projects using Project Server that contained customized work items.
  There may have been a number of problems encountered here. The enhanced integration of Office Project with VSTS 2010 Beta 1 addresses a number of the round trip problems experienced previously. For more information, see Quick Tips and Operational Differences when Tracking Tasks Using Office Project and Team Foundation.
• Updating Process Guidance content to reflect changes made to customized processes.

The above scenarios identify many useful areas to address through documentation. I'm adding them to my backlog of content to develop for VSTS 2010. 

As a next step, I plan to post a working draft that lists the objects and elements that are subject to customization, the interfaces used to support them, and links to VSTF 2010 Beta 1 topics that provide information on how to customize them.

Please continue to provide feedback on the content that is most important to you when customizing Visual Studio Team Foundation.

Thanks,

Kathryn

What Information Will Best Support Your Team Foundation Customization Requirements?

Hello -

I'm in the process of restructuring and improving the content we provide to support customization of Visual Studio Team Foundation work item tracking, projects, and processes. To support this effort, I need your help.

Specifically, I want to learn from you:

• What are some of the problems you are trying to solve when you customize Team Foundation?
• How does the current documentation support your customization efforts?
• What of the current content should we  keep?
• What content is missing?
• Would you like to see more examples? If so, what kinds of examples would be helpful?
• What objects or areas of Team Foundation do you typically customize?
• Add or remove data fields?
• Work item forms?
• Work item workflow?
• Process templates?
• Integration across Team Foundation applications, such as version control, test, and build? 

I'm in the stage of gathering requirements and welcome any and all feedback that you have that addresses this area. 

Please respond to this post with your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas. You can also send me an email.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Kathryn