Team Development with Visual Studio Team Foundation Server

• Manually customize the XML files. Manual customization is error-prone but nevertheless
gives fine grained control over the customization of process templates. For more information,
see “Customizing Process Templates” at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/enus/library/ms243782(VS.80).aspx
• Process Template Editor Tool available with Power tools. The latest version the Visual
Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server Power Tool ― a set of enhancements, tools, and
command-line utilities that improve the TFS experience ― provides a graphical tool for
viewing and customizing process templates. When connected to TFS, you can use this tool to
customize work item type definitions and global lists on an active project. For more
information, see “How To: Customize a Process Template in Visual Studio Team Foundation
Server”
Common Customizations
The following are descriptions of the set of the components that you generally will customize to
create your own custom process:
• Groups and Permissions. The out-of-box process templates have a set of groups with
various permissions assigned to them. If the default groups and permissions associated with
these templates are not adequate or appropriate for your process requirements, you can
update those groups or create new groups. You can also add individual users to a group,
remove users from a group, or grant and revoke permissions for a group.
• Source Control Check-In Notes and Policies. The out-of-box process templates have a set
of Source Control Check-In notes and Policies. If the default check-in notes are not adequate
or appropriate for your process requirements, you can add or remove check-in note fields, or
make some fields required and others not. If the default check-in policies are not adequate or
appropriate, you can add, update, or delete individual check-in policies.
• Areas and Iterations. The out-of-box process templates do not provide a classification
structure for either areas or iterations. You can customize the areas and iterations according
to your specific process requirements. The recommended approach is to carve out the areas
based on the component or features of the project. Iterations can be time-based cycles for
which you will repeat particular set of major activities (such as plan, develop, and test).
• Team Portal. The out-of-box process templates provide a default team portal, which can be
the central hub for communication among team members and others in the organization. You
can modify the team portal to change its appearance, behavior, and content to suit your
process requirements.
• Process Guidance. The out-of-box process templates provide relevant process guidance that
explains the roles, forms, reports, and workflow used in the team project. When customizing
the process template to meet your requirement, you must edit the process guidance to reflect
the changes for various components.
• Reports. The out-of-box process templates provide a set of default reports. If the default
reports are not appropriate or adequate, you can create your own custom reports based on
your requirements.
• Work Item Types and Queries. The out-of-box process templates have a set of Work item
types, default work item instances and queries. If the default Work item types, work item
instances and queries are not adequate or appropriate for your process requirements, you can