Some users complain about usability limitations with TFS work items. We’ll show you 4 effective options for improving Team Foundation Server work item tracking – without any client installation. You’ll only need a single server installation of TFS ASAP and you’re good. Especially the third option is worth mentioning…
The new release of TFS ASAP comes with the so called Work Item Extensions and Test Result Extensions. These extensions provide special web-based views on Work Items, which can be integrated into the work item forms out-of-the-box (using WebPageControls). These views provide the following insights:
1. Related Work Items
Work item forms can contain a list of linked work items – i.e. as shown on the Links tab.. However, sometimes, other “relations” need to be shown. For instance, within a bug, a user wants to easily see all other bugs created at the same day for the same product. Or, as the following screenshot suggests all open work items within the same area and iteration:
This can be achieved using the TFS ASAP Work Item Extension: Query. In order to use the view within a work item, you have to adapt the work item type defintion as follows:
<WebpageControlOptions AllowScript=“true“ ReloadOnParamChange=“true“>
<Link UrlRoot=“http://<TFS>:8080/wie“ UrlPath=“WorkItems/Query/<CollectionName>/{0}“>
<Param Index=“0“ Value=“System.Id“ Type=“Current“ />
</Link>
</WebpageControlOptions>
2. Work Item Hierarchy
Links can be displayed as a list within the work item form. However, only one level can be displayed (resp. two levels – one level in each link direction). Especially for hierarchy link types, a view on the full hierarchy is particularly useful. The hierarchy work item extension provides a web page which displays the complete hierarchy within which a particular work item is contained:
3. Time Sheet
Our favorite: As users track their work in work items, an overview is necessary for any bookings that happened in a work item. The Current Work Automation helps users book efforts for specific dates (past, present, future). The timesheet work item extension lets you view a table of all bookings for a particular work item. We’re using that in our bill and material projects and fixed price projects in order to keep track of budget and planned efforts:
4. Latest Test Results
Usually, test cases do not provide a direct view on their test results. Test cases can be used in multiple test plans and suites and hence test results might be different. This TFS ASAP extension provides an easy-to-integrate view on all latest results of all appearances of a particular test case in any test plan within the collection:
5. TFS ASAP in your environment
The Work Item Extensions are already part of the smallest TFS ASAP Basic edition. All version of TFS 2012 Update 3 and higher are supported – thanks to the ASAP Software Assurance all future version will be supported as well…
For more information, visit: http://www.tfsasap.com/video.html or send an email to: [email protected]