Customization and configuration in VS ALM

Kathryn Elliott

December 19th, 20130 0

With Visual Studio ALM and TFS, you gain access to a wealth of tools, many of which you configure or can customize. Common areas that team’s customize include team alerts, team home page, shared queries, and test platforms. For on-premises deployments, you can also add fields, customize work item types (WITs), and Agile planning tools.

Below you’ll find links to topics that show you how to configure or customize areas related to version control, build, work tracking, and testing using TFS.

Version control and build

You can manage source code using Team Foundation version control (TFVC) or Git. Here is a view into the areas you can configure when working with source code and builds. Go here for details on the differences between TFVC and Git.

Code – TFVC

Code – Git

Build

Work

Teams track plans and work using work items. You can add fields, change workflow, and add information to forms by customizing WITs. Teams can customize many elements that support their collaboration, as well as being able to customize the Agile planning tools and experience. Items marked with an asterisk (*) are available only with TFS on-premises deployments.

Teams

Agile planning tools

Quick add panel
Default backlog columns
Weekend days
Max # of work items on the task board
Color of work item types
Change a field used in a chart or tool
Map workflow states to metastates

Add work item types to a backlog (*)

Add portfolio backlogs (*)

Use a team field to support teams (*)

Work item fields

Modify a field or add a custom field (*)

Customize a pick list
Add rules to a field
Add a custom field
Rename a field,
Change reporting attributes
Synchronize a person name field
Add custom controls to a field
Add a field that supports integration with test, build, or version control

Add or change how Project fields map to TFS fields (*)

Queries, filters, and reports

Work item types

Modify or add a custom work item type (*)

Customize the states, reasons, or transitions of a workflow
Add text, hyperlinks, or web content to a form
Add a new WIT
Add or remove a WIT from a backlog or task board
Change the color associated with a WIT
Rename a WIT
Delete a WIT
Add custom controls to a WIT

Add a WIT to the portfolio backlog (*)

Change the maximum attachment size for work items (on-premises only)

Test

With VS, Microsoft Test Manager, and Team Web Access, you can create unit, manual, exploratory, and automated system tests. These tests reference one or more of the test elements as part of their execution. Items marked with an asterisk (*) are available only with TFS on-premises deployments.

Test types

Test elements

Test configurations (test platforms)
Test failure types (*)
Test resolution states (*)
Test settings
Test tool extension (API reference)
Custom code and plug-ins for web performance tests
Specify a custom work item type as default bug type (*)

Lab management

Several test types use the test case WIT to plan and run tests. You can customize the test case in the same way as you customize other WITs.

Are there other areas that you can customize?

The short answer is Yes. Other areas include TFS groups, permission, and process templates. Also, new features, such as Application Insights and Release Management present additional areas to configure or customize, We’ll add information about those areas later.

What other scenarios would you like to see more content coverage with regard to configuration or customization?

Please add a note in the comments below.