Team Development with Visual Studio Team Foundation Server

Check-in Policies
• How to set up check-in policies to enforce code quality
• How to set up check-in policies to ensure that developers associate work items
with check-ins
• How to set up check-in policies to enforce coding standards
How to Set Up Check-in Policies to Enforce Code Quality
Use a combination of code analysis and testing policies to enforce a standard of code
quality. For example, use the testing policy available out-of-box with VSTS, to ensure
that specific tests are executed and passed prior to allowing source to be checked into
Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2005 Team Foundation Server (TFS) source control. You
can also configure a code analysis policy to help ensure that your code meets certain
quality standards by ensuring that security, performance, portability, maintainability, and
reliability rules are passed.
By enforcing this type of check-in policy in addition to policies that enforce coding
standards and guidelines, you ensure that your code meets a specific code quality gate.
To enforce a code analysis check-in policy for a team project
1. In Team Explorer, right-click your team project, point to Team Project Settings, and
then click Source Control.
2. Click the Check-in Policy tab.
3. Click Add and then select and configure the appropriate policy.
Additional Resources
• For more information about creating and using a custom check-in policy, see “How
To – Step Through Creating Custom Check-in Policies for TFS” In this guide.
• To learn how to customize a check-in policy, see “Walkthrough: Customizing Checkin
Policies and Notes” at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/enus/library/ms181281(VS.80).aspx
• To view sample code that will disallow selected patterns on check-in, see “Checkin
Policy to Disallow Certain Patterns” at
http://blogs.msdn.com/jmanning/archive/2006/02/02/523125.aspx
• To see sample code that will enforce comments on check-in, see “Sample Checkin
Policy: Make Sure the Comment Isn’t Empty” at
http://blogs.msdn.com/jmanning/archive/2006/01/21/515858.aspx
• To learn how to register a new check-in policy, see “I’ve Made a New Check-In
Policy! How Do I Add It?” at
http://blogs.msdn.com/jmanning/archive/2006/02/07/526778.aspx