TFS Check-In Validation Tool

New tool was released on CodePlex called TFS Check-in Validation Tool.

This tool provides the ability to have a checkin validating by a build prior to being checked in.  This is similar to a feature in TFS 2010 called Gated Checkin, which is integrated into VS and TFS (more info in this video). With both of these the goal is to prevent build breaks from being checked in by validating them beforehand.

If you really like it and are interested in doing something similar with TFS 2008 (before TFS 2010) comes out, you can check out this new project on CodePlex: http://www.codeplex.com/BuddyBuild.

It is not a part of TFS and the implementation is unrelated to the TFS 2010 Gated checkin feature.

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Preview Of The Next TFS Power Tools Release

For a preview of the next TFS Power Tools release, please read Brian Harry’s blog.

The next version is really amazing!

From Brian’s post:

There are 3 major new components to the October Power Tools release and the usual incremental improvements.

• Team Members – We’ve added a new node to the Team Explorer called "Team Members".  It appears under each Team Project and is used to identify who are the people who work on the project.  It serves as a "pivot point" for information about and operations on people and teams.
• Windows Shell Extension – We’ve built a Windows shell extension that allows you to do the core version control operations directly inside the Windows Explorer without using the Team Explorer.
• PowerShell Support – We’ve started working on a PowerShell pipeline and commandlets for TFS.  Our initial set support basic version control operations but over time we plan to add work item tracking, administration, build and more.

This is one of the best Power Tools releases so far.

Read Brian’s post for full details.

VSTS 2008 Team Foundation Server Power Tools – July 2008 Release

The Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Foundation Server Power Tools is a set of enhancements, tools and command line utilities that improve the Team Foundation Server user experience.

The latest power tools release can be found here: TFS July 2008 Power Tools.

See BHarry’s blog for an overview of all the great enhancements and make sure you download and install it.

The following tools are installed with the tfpt.msi package:

• Command line tool (TFPT.EXE)
• Team Explorer IDE menu additions
• Build Notification tool
• TFS Best Practices Analyzer
• Process Template Editor
• Work Item Templates
• Custom check-in policies
• TFS Server Manager
• TFS Users tool
• Alert Editor

Also available is the WssExt64Bit installer which provides the ability to install the Team Foundation Server WSS extensions into a 64-bit WSS instance. The RTM version of the WssExt installer that ships with Team Foundation Server 2008 does not support 64-bit WSS sites.

For more information, see Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Foundation Server Power Tools.

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Templex-Sharing Team System Process Templates

We always asked for a library of process templates available and also easy way to share ones we created.

Templex is a new CodePlex project has just been created for this purpose.

From the project’s page:

This CodePlex projects serves as a repository for open source Team Foundation Server (TFS) process templates, work item type definitions and report definitions. TFS uses process templates to configure new team projects. Each process template includes the following:

• TFS Security groups and permissions
• Initial set of Areas and Iterations
• Work item type definitions
• Initial set of work items
• Work item querys
• MS Project Mappings
• Version control permissions and settings for check-out and check-in
• Project portal document library settings, including an initial set of documents
• SQL Reporting Services report definitions

Once a team project is created, the following configuration items can be imported, exported and modified:

• Work item type definitions
• Work item queries
• Report definitions

http://www.codeplex.com/templex

March 2008 TFS Power Tools now available

Brian Harry has just announced that the March 2008 Team Foundation Power Tools have been released:

We’ve just released a new version of the TFS Power Tools.  This new Power Tool release will work only with the VS/Team Explorer 2008 client (but against either a TFS 2005 or TFS 2008 server).  If you haven’t taken the time to upgrade yet, I highly recommend it – you are missing out on lots of great new value we are delivering.

This release includes:

• Process Template Editor support for custom work item controls
• TFSServerManager client
• TFS BPA support for Windows Server 2008
• Work Item Template improvements Scriptable Team Project creation
• Support for 64-bit Sharepoint farms
• Unshelve to a different branch
• Improvements to tfpt review
• Delete global lists in the work item tracking system
• Update bound Microsoft Office docs when the TFS server name changes
• Performance improvements in tfpt online

Click here to download.

Enjoy!

Team System Web Access 2008 SP1 and Work Item Web Access 2008 CTP's Available

Community Technology Previews (CTP) for Team System Web Access 2008 SP1 and Work Item Web Access has just released by Hakan Eskici and TFS team.

Team System Web Access (TSWA) 2008 SP1 (CTP)

• What’s new in TSWA 2008 SP1
• Download the CTP for TSWA 2008 SP1

Work Item Web Access (WIWA) 2008 (CTP)

• • What’s WIWA?
  • Download the CTP for WIWA 2008