It’s called RC1 because, yes, there will be an RC2. \u00a0I don’t expect an RC3 but that will depend on the feedback that we get. \u00a0This release is “mostly” feature complete. \u00a0It includes almost all of the major new features that we have shipped on VS Team Services and makes them available for on-premises TFS users – features like code search and package management. \u00a0It has long standing top requests – like build folders. \u00a0It also includes major improvements to virtually every aspect of the product – Agile planning. Git, Build, Release management, dashboards, Testing and more. \u00a0Check out the release notes for a more complete overview of all the improvements. \u00a0We will *not* be publishing a list of all of the bug fixes that are going into TFS “15” – there are just too many.\nRC1 is only going to be available in English but we will get other languages out for subsequent releases. \u00a0You’ll note we are not shipping an Update to Visual Studio “15” on the same day. \u00a0That’s just the result of some internal schedule differences between server and client. \u00a0You can use TFS “15” with earlier versions (2015, 2013, …) or with the VS “15” Preview 3 that shipped about a month ago. \u00a0An updated VS preview will be available before long.\nJust to call out a few of my favorite RC1 features:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Follow a work item<\/strong> – makes it super easy to track the progress on work that you care about.<\/li>\n
- Code search<\/strong> – Makes it easy to find code anywhere across your project.<\/li>\n
- Package management<\/strong> – Improves your ability to reuse components across your projects (both OSS and internally produced)<\/li>\n
- Improved branches page<\/strong> – Faster, hierarchy, favorites build status and more.<\/li>\n
- Docker support<\/strong> – in build and release management.<\/li>\n
- Release management<\/strong> – I don’t think any part of our product is advancing as quickly as Release management is. \u00a0The number of significant improvements and new capabilities is innumerable.<\/li>\n
- Parity between MTM and web TCM<\/strong> – We almost have parity now where all the things you are used to using MTM for, you can now use the web experience for.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
UI changes<\/strong>\nYou’ll also notice that we’ve been making a lot of changes to the web UI. \u00a0We’ve been working to make it much faster, more consistent, modern, more productive and generally more pleasing. \u00a0It’s harder to see on the cloud because the changes have been so gradual – almost every sprint has included changes. \u00a0I think it’s going to be much more visible when you upgrade your TFS server. \u00a0One of the bigger more visible changes we are introducing in RC1 is an updated navigation system. \u00a0The goal of the change is to reduce the number of clicks and the amount of time to get from where you are to where you want to be.\nThe core of the change is that top level hubs now have menus that allow you to navigate directly to sections of the target hub\u00a0(Pull requests, for instance) rather than first having to navigate to Code, then to Pull requests. \u00a0There are other changes but that’s the most important. \u00a0We’re still early in the implementation and we’ve already gotten a lot of feedback on things that aren’t quite right yet – just from internal users. \u00a0As a result, for now, it is off by default. \u00a0A TFS admin can go into the settings and turn the new nav structure on or off to allow people to experiment with it and give feedback. \u00a0Our plan, for RC2 is to enable the new nav by default (but probably still have a way to revert to the old nav until we get clear signs that the vast majority of people like the new one better).\nI’m super sensitive to the fact that, from a muscle memory perspective this is a big change and we need to keep iterating until we really get it right and we can’t force it on anyone in the meantime. \u00a0Because we can iterate much more quickly in the cloud, in about a week, we will enable the new nav in Team Services along with a per user ability to enable\/disable it. \u00a0We will be measuring how many people choose new over old. \u00a0We will be measuring clicks to see if we are actually making nav faster. \u00a0We will be surveying people who turn it off to find out why. \u00a0We will be watching our Send-a-smile feedback channel to understand what people like and don’t like. \u00a0And we will be iterating rapidly. \u00a0I’ve asked that we shoot for weekly refinements to the new – deployed to Team Services so that we can respond to feedback and test fixes very quickly.\nTo enable the new navigation bar, go to your account home page (not a project home page), click the gear icon on the top right, then look for a blue button on the top right of that admin page.\nMy request from you all is that you try it and give us feedback. \u00a0Vote with your feet – choose the nav you like better. \u00a0As we refine it, keep trying it and adjusting your vote. \u00a0If we don’t get it great for TFS “15” RTM, we won’t eliminate the old nav and will keep iterating into Update 1, 2 and whatever else we have to do.\n
![\"nav\"](\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2019\/02\/nav.png\")
<\/a>\nOn a related note, you’ll also find the new work item form that we’ve been evolving on Team Services for that past many months in TFS “15”. \u00a0For a new install, the new form will be on by default. \u00a0For an upgrade install, the new form will be *off* by default. \u00a0The reason is to give project admins who have done significant customizations to their work item forms, an opportunity to tweak them and make sure they look good in the new layout before enabling it for their teams.\nWhat didn’t make it?<\/strong>\nMost of the planned TFS 15 functionality is in RC1 but I want to call out a few notable things:<\/p>\n - Code search<\/strong> – Makes it easy to find code anywhere across your project.<\/li>\n