TFS Work Item Customization using TFS Power Tool: Part 1

In this post I will explain how we can add a custom field for a work type of existing team project.

To customize work item template we can make use of TFS power tool or witadmin command prompt options.

In this post I will show case TFS work item customization using TFS power tool.

Adding custom field using TFS power tool.

We can download Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2013 Power Tools from here, same link will also provide all other feature details of power tool.

When we use power tool to customize the work item template, we can do customization directly on server or we can export the template to local machine and import it to team project after customization.

To Export the template from the team project to local machine follow below steps.

Open Visual Studio 2013.

Click on TOOLS -> Process Editor-> Work Item Types->Export WIT

Connect to the Team Project collection. Here collection name is Awesome Collection.

Then select the Task Work Item Type from the Team Project of which work item template has to be customized the Click OK

Save the template in local machine.

When Asks for the pop up with message “Would you like in include the Global List definition?” Click on No button.

Below pop up window will appear on successful export of the template.

Now we can open the template in Visual Studio using power tool. Click on TOOLS -> Process Editor-> Work Item Types->Open WIT from File 

This is how template will look in Visual Studio when power tool is installed. This is called template editor and we will see the Name and Description of the template also 3 tabs named Fields, Layout and Workflow.

In Fields tab we can create or define new work item field with different rules or validations. Once we define field, we can make this field appeared in the work item UI using Layout tab, where we can also preview the work item template and decide where to place the field in the template UI. Workflow tab is used to define the states and transition for the work item and we can also add some the rules to the fields based on the stated of the work item, for example let us say all fields in the temple should be non-editable when state of the work item is Closed.

Let us create two fields named Tech Decision and Management Decision with both containing drop down values Approved, On-Hold, Rejected so that user can select value in the work item UI.

Click on New on the template editor

Fill in the data as below

Name: Tech Decision

Type: String

Reference Name: YourCompanyName.Common.TecDecision

Help Text: Technical Decision Approved, On-Hold or Rejected

Reportable: Dimension

Note: Reference name must contain minimum one period(.) and must not begin or end with period(.)

To add the list of values click on Rules then New

To add the list of values we can make of the rule ALLOWED VALUES and then Click OK

Below window will popup

Click on New.  And type Approved in the List Item box. Then click ok.

Again click on New to add one more list item Rejected.

And type Rejected in the List Item box. Then click ok. Follow above step to add one more list item On-Hold.

Click OK then OK.

Follow same steps as Tech Decision to and new field Management Decision with values Approved, On-Hold and then Rejected.

Now we can see the new fields in fields list of template.

By completing above steps we are just created the new fields Tech Decision and Management Decision with list values. Now let us see how to put these fields in the work item UI so that user can select the values. To edit the UI of the template we will make use of Layout tab.

Click on Layout tab.

Right Click on the Column just above the Group Status, then click on the New Group option to create new group named Decision.

Select the new group and at the right side provide Label value as Decision

When we create a group a default column will be added below, right click on the column to add the control

Enter below values for the attribute of the control and rest attributes we can leave as it is.

Label: Tech Decision

Field Name: YourCompanyName.Common.TechDecision

Again right click on the same colum and add new control give below details

Label: Management Decision

Field Name: YourCompanyName.Common.ManagementDecision

Now save the changes and template is ready to import. We ca also have preview of template before importing it to server. To have preview click on Preview Form button.

To import work item to server, go to TOOLS -> Process Editor-> Work Item Types->Import WIT

 Now browse for the Task.xml template and also select team project to which template has to be imported, click OK.

Open Team Explorer, click on Refresh button and then create new Task item from work items tile. And you should able to view Decision group with fields Tech Decision and Management Decision.