Q: [4] Can you create lists of unit tests using Team System Developer?

A: For this version, the test manager is not part of the Developer SKU, so you can't, you need the Test SKU. We are thinking on adding this feature for next version on the Developer SKU

Q: [5] Jeffrey, what is the best way to enforce a check-in policy with a subset of code analysis rules across the enterprise (multiple team projects)? I know I can do this per team project, but I don't want to set it up manually each time.

A: The current policy only allows a policy per Team Project. If you want to have all your projects to adhere to one policy all your projects will have to live in that team project. We're working on a powertool to make migration from policy to projects easier. However support for policies that span multiple Team Projects will only come online in future versions of Team System.

Q: [7] Prasad, Should the application verifier be able to be used against WM5 PPC devices? It looks to be set up but when trying to connect to the device it just hangs and does not respond for us.

A: Gabe, Application Verifier cannot be used be used for devices. I have a work item to disable this for devices. I beleive the devices team is working on an application verifier for devices.

Q: [12] Jeffrey, are there any plans to make writing custom FXCop rules easier?

A: Oh yes, we're working hard on this as we speak. SDK refinement is one of our big work items for the next release. See http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=333885&SiteID=1 for some more details (Under "Where is the official FxCop custom rules SDK?"

Q: [9] In response to Q[4] does that mean that I will have to have another version of Visual Studio Team System (e.g. Suite) to create test lists to run them on a TFS build server?

A: Yes, that is right. Currently, you need VSTS Test in order to create test lists

Q: [13] Is it possible to install functionality from Visual Studio Software Developer as well as Team Test (and Architect) on the same computer? Will they all integrate into the same install of Visual Studio?

A: It is possible to install both Team Edition for Software Developers and Team Edition for Software Architects on the same machine. They will all integrate nicely. In fact, by installing all three editions you end up with the same functionality of Team Suite.

Q: [14] Is there a way to specify "All Tests" when running unit tests within Team Build without having to constantly add new unit tests to an existing set of lists?

A: Not today. We are working on a solution that would let you specify "All Tests" for our next release.

Q: [15] Do I need Team Test or Team Developer on the TFS machine to execute test from a Test List during the build.

A: You need either Team Test or Team Suite on build server to be able to execute tests from test lists.

Q: [16] how can i get vista? like a beta version?

A: http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/

Q: [11] Are details of the FxCop API published online, such that I can create my own rules for VS2005? I don't seem to be able to find much information at FxCop workspace on GotDotNet about it.

A: Currently there is no official documentation on the FxCop API, however, there are numerous samples available on the web (see FAQ: http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=333885&SiteID=1). We've also recently posted a blog entry on integrating custom rules with Visual Studio 2005 Team System here: http://blogs.msdn.com/fxcop/archive/2006/03/11/549611.aspx. Please note that the API is set to change in Orcas (the next Visual Studio), so be aware that any rules you right now will not work in that version.

Q: [10] What kind of timeline are you looking at for the next release of TFS and the Visual Studio SKUs....??

A: Hello - this really depends on the feedback that we get from our customers. We are actively gathering that feedback with a variety of methods (like these chats ) and based on that feedback we are building our product plans. It's too soon to say definitively when a next version will come. If you have a MSDN subscription or SA, you'll have the best opportunity to get future versions though. We'll start to have more firm things to say about the next version later on in the year.

Q: [16] how can i get vista? like a beta version?

A: MSDN subscriptions are great too! http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/

Q: [17] What is the Application Verifier?

A: Application Verifier is a tool that detects runtime issues in unmanaged code. It is available as a standalone tool and can be downloaded from <http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bd02c19c-1250-433c-8c1b-2619bd93b3a2&DisplayLang=en>;. Application Verifier is also integrated in VSTS and VSTD skus of Visual Studio 2005. However only a subset of the features available in standalone are available in the VS.

Q: [17] What is the Application Verifier?

A: Check out this FAQ for lots of info, it's a useful diagnostics tool for really probing deep into your application: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows/appcompatibility/appverifier_faq.mspx

Q: [20] Are there any Microsoft published books on Team System, written by the team that built it, best practices for adopting it, etc.?

A: Yup, my distinguished colleague Sam has written such a book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321278720/002-3716119-6054435?v=glance&n=283155

Q: [18] how do i put an iso format file to a cd, i was trying to download xp pro. x64 ed.

A: Check out the FAQ at http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/faq/default.aspx and search for "ISO" there's some useful information there. Good luck.

Q: [20] Are there any Microsoft published books on Team System, written by the team that built it, best practices for adopting it, etc.?

A: There are several books coming out on the topic of Team System, some of which were written by product team members. You can find them all at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/teamsystem/reference/books/

Q: [19] ...A: You need either Team Test or Team Suite on build server to be able to execute tests from test lists. --> we currently have Team Developer on our TFS server which is running RC1. Is this a change with the RTM version (i.e. you can no longer use TD?)

A: If you are only executing unit and ordered test from your VSMDI file with test list then you can keep using Team Developer edition in your build server. However, you cannot create test list using Team Developer edition. You need to have Team Tester or Team Suite to create test lists.

Q: [19] ...A: You need either Team Test or Team Suite on build server to be able to execute tests from test lists. --> we currently have Team Developer on our TFS server which is running RC1. Is this a change with the RTM version (i.e. you can no longer use TD?)

A: For the general case, it's recommended that to get the right mix of components either install TD+TT on the build server or Team Suite on RTM. This is "how things worked out" for RTM but as far as I know there is no master plan dictating it needs to be this way in future versions.

Q: [22] VS is now so much more than just integration of Development Tools with the .Net Framework . Will future VSTS products be released independent of versions of the framework with just added developer productivity?

A: That's a good observation Yes, that is certainly an option we will explore. It really depends on the value we are providing for our customers - if there is something that comes along before a major rev of the .NET Framework, then we would certainly consider releasing it independently. It really is all about what our customers need, and what innovations we can provide - in our first release we synchronized with .NET, but that may not be the case next time.

Q: [23] can you point to some documentation on partially code coverage as i see with every IF construct (IF statement) , code coverage result is different

A: Anjana, can you clarify a little more about what you are currently seeing from the code coverage tool?

Q: [27] Can TFS be used safely across the Internet for code check in and check out, or should a VPN tunnel be used?

A: VPN is the way to go for now - http://blogs.msdn.com/robcaron/archive/2006/02/22/537485.aspx

Q: [24] Is there any way to make Ctrl+Shift+X (Run tests) work, without having to give focus to a test class first? It is painful to write some new code and not be able to quickly run a test without swapping around open file windows. Am I doing it wrong?

A: Good question... This is common feedback we've been recieving that you can't do today, but we're working on for the next version.

Q: [29] What are your plans for integrating TFS with Project Server and MOM (If any)???

A: We are doing Project Server integration in our next release; MOM is on the roadmap, not sure if it will be the next release, or the one after. We definitely want to bridge some of the gap between deployment/operations and development with TFS, in the same way that we are doing so with our Architect product.

Q: [28] bitmover: I would like to add test case assignments to our MS Project server so the test people can schedule script runs, where can I find info on integrating MS Project with TFS ?

A: This chat is for Team System Developer & Tester topics. Please limit your questions to those topics. We are planning on having an entire Team System chat sometime in the coming months, keep a watch out for the schedule. For now you can use the MSDN Forums for TFS related questions: http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/default.aspx?ForumGroupID=5&SiteID=1. Thanks!

Q: [28] bitmover: I would like to add test case assignments to our MS Project server so the test people can schedule script runs, where can I find info on integrating MS Project with TFS ?

A: That certainly is a good idea - we don't have official product functionality that integrates with Project Server, but our community has been very active in this area; check out: http://blogs.msdn.com/robcaron/archive/2006/02/22/537486.aspx

Q: [26] Can i get samples of validation rule for form fields

A: This blog post has a custom extraction rule with form fields. Extraction and Validation rules have many similarities, so this should show you what needs to be done: http://blogs.msdn.com/joshch/archive/2005/11/17/494164.aspx Here is a blog post with custom validation rule, but I think the extraction rule example will be more helpful: http://blogs.msdn.com/joshch/archive/2005/11/02/488398.aspx

Q: [30] Is all custom interaction with TFS done via web services, or is there an API as well?

A: There is an API as well - have a look at the VS SDK to see examples of how to use this API

Q: [35] all, have you seen any great 3rd party VS Add-Ins available for VS2005?

A: yup, you can find some great ones at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/extend/

Q: [30] Is all custom interaction with TFS done via web services, or is there an API as well?

A: Most custom interactions with Team Foundation Server should be done using the API rather than directly using the Web services. The reason for this is because the API will remain consistent, whereas the TFS Web services may change in the next release of the product. A list of all major APIs (and samples) are available in the Visual Studio 2005 SDK. You can download the SDK for free at: http://www.vsipdev.com

Q: [21] Not sure if this is on topic, but, is there any documentation available (e.g. web) for the various filters (e.g. VSEFL) that can be written for TFS when subscribing to TFS events?

A: Hi Jeff -- This chat is specifically for the Test and Dev areas of Team System, so I believe we don't have any TFS experts attending. I've heard there will be a chat with a broader focus (including TFS) in the future but I don't know just when. In the meantime, you can try the TFS forum at http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=22&SiteID=1.

Q: [33] Do you plan to support 1.1 dlls for Code Analisys? We have a web site that refferences 1.1 dlls and the code analisys on the site fails with an error. This is a know issue and I am wondering if you plan on fixing it?? Thanks

A: FxCop in general supports analyzing 1.1 binaries. The thing that is not supported is analyzing a mixed set of binaries some targeted against 2.0 and some targeted against 1.1. Due to the special compilation model of asp.net WSP projects you end up with this model though making FxCop fail. We have implemented a fix for this specific scenario and it is likely that this fix will end up in SP1. Another route you can go is to use the new ASP.NET WAP projects http://msdn.microsoft.com/asp.net/reference/infrastructure/wap/default.aspx as the analysis will work ok against 2.0 dlls with 1.1 references. Please note that the analysis for WAP projects hasn't been tuned so you might end up with more messages against naming used in ASP.NET pages that is not applicable.

Q: [36] i see partially covered with a IF statement that had many && , || operator in the statment. with some if statement i have to write test for all possible case to get full covered and for some other if statement i don't have to , i still get full covered

A: Ahh, I see. Our code coverage tool looks at blocks and not lines of code. If you have a statement like (A || B || C) and you run a test where A is true, then the line will be only partially covered as only the A statement was tested as the B and C statements did not need to be evaluated to evaluate the statment, so it shows up as a partially covered line.

Q: [38] Are there any good examples of Source Control reporting?? I want to see a report that included changesets and how they relate to the team project and workitems. Thanks

A: We have a pipeline of report samples we are going to publish and there are some on source control reporting - maybe check on the MSDN in a couple of weeks

Q: [31] i have a suggestion for the TestContext class in the Unit Test framework. It would be great if you could allow it to be writable. It is such a nice wrapper for TestData but it could be so much more powerful if you could do custom stuff with it

A: Great suggestion, I just logged a work item (using TFS!), if you want to add any further details feel free to contact me via http://blogs.msdn.com/ejarvi/contact.aspx

Q: [39] Where can I get more information about the .vsmdi and .testrunconfig files? What are they for - are they intended to be shared across a project (like a .sln) , or are they specific to a developer (like a .suo)

A: A testrunconfig file will help you control the way test runs proceed. The settings that you can specify here will be set for the whole run. You can specify things such as the time that each test can run before a timeout, a controller/agents where you want your run to run remotely, deployment items, etc. More info on this here: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms182480.aspx

Q: [39] Where can I get more information about the .vsmdi and .testrunconfig files? What are they for - are they intended to be shared across a project (like a .sln) , or are they specific to a developer (like a .suo)

A: The vsmdi file contains information about your test lists (and tests associated with them). Both files can be shared across a project or specific to a developer, depending on what you are intending to do.

Q: [40] Do you have any links to advanced UnitTest development code/samples/examples/etc...

A: James Newkirk has provided some limited samples and code within the NUnit Converter on GotDotNet (http://workspaces.gotdotnet.com/nunitaddons). You can also refer to the MSDN documentation for a complete walkthrough: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms182415.aspx

Q: [41] I have had TFS installed for 2 weeks now and just went back to check the DB size. As it turns out, our biggest DB is tempDB at 44GB!!!?!?!? Is this normal?? Our next biggest DB is the SourceControl DB at 1.2GB. Thanks

A: Hmm, can you try having a look at this blog posting: http://blogs.msdn.com/buckh/archive/2006/02/22/tfs_size_estimation.aspx buck hodges tries to outline some steps for estimating db sizes.

Q: [45] there were problems in VS2003 with creating a solution in Enterprise Architect and then someone trying to open it with VS Pro. Are there any problems we should watch for if people in the organization are using different versions of VSTS?

A: There shouldn't be compatibility problems across versions as long as you are using features both versions have in common. One pain point for example might be the test list management interface you need Team Test or Team Suite, it's not in Team Developer. Although once you have the test list created you can use Team Developer. Or if you were expecting to be able to use the profiler but didn't have Team Developer or Team Suite installed. I think the general idea is that if everyone really needs all features, you can install Team Suite across the board. But if you only need a subset of features there is a version that tries to at least get close to what that subset is.

Q: [44] Is there any plans to have the web tests handle ajax?

A: Currently the web testing feature simulate requests being sent to the server. We do not simulate the rendering happening in the browser. We are currently considering more Ajax support for the next release.

Q: [51] What is the best way to deal with strong name keys in a team project? We're thinking that we don't want all developers on a project to have access, but at the time the installer is built, it should be compiled with that key. Is there some provision 4 ths

A: Use delay signing. This way only your build server has access to the strong name key. See the Signing tab of your project's properties.

Q: [47] Are there any plans to change/improve the way extracthiddenfields works? Also, is there anything I can do to prevent TFS from randomly closing when renaming a web test or folder?

A: We have made some changes to the way extract hidden fields works which should make some big improvements especially with hidden fields being modified by javascript. I am not aware of the second question. What are the repro steps?

Q: [34] I have several applications that share a set of framework projects. Each application uses a different version of the framework projects. Can I check out multiple versions to support multiple checked-out applications, or do I have to check out separately?

A: My brain is going multidimensional thinking about multiple versions of the same file at the same time, but it's a legitimate question. Please post to the forum, http://forums.microsoft.com/msdn/showforum.aspx?forumid=18&siteid=1 and I will work on getting some answers to you.

Q: [50] Can I get any samples or URL's where I can get an example for Form Field Validation rule???Basically I referred the white paper by Josh Christie where he has explained about Web Authoring techniques, but there too I was not able to find an examples !!!

A: Check out this post on josh's blog about a custom rule for extracting form fields: http://blogs.msdn.com/joshch/archive/2005/11/17/494164.aspx This should show you how to work with the response to do validation.

Q: [43] If it's not already planned, it would be great to have one admin area for setting policies across team projects, publishing solution/project/item templates, etc.

A: Great feedback, I will pass the suggestion along. Thanks!

Q: [54] Q[41] continued - I have already read that blog and couldn't find anything that had to do with tempdb. What else can I look at? From your responce it sounds like this is not normal. Should I open a trouble ticket with MS about it? Thanks

A: Yup, it sure doesn't seem normal - I'm checking back with the product team now; can you open a trouble ticket?

Q: [52] Is there any other purpose to profiling other than performance measurements?

A: The profiler is designed mainly for performance measurement. But with full symbols, you can learn alot about what your code is doing under the surface and about what CLR functions are being called by running the profiler on your code. For example I recently used the profiler to look at comparing the performance of generic lists vs. arrays and got some interesting information about what different CLR functions are being called in by the different implementations. http://blogs.msdn.com/ianhu/archive/2006/03/10/548778.aspx

Q: [53] Is there a logical reason as to why the VSMDI file gets "checked out" in version control a lot in my solution when I'm opening source code files? It seems to check itself out frequently for no apparent reason.

A: Everytime you make changes in test lists the VSMDI file will be checked out. Is the file get checked out even when you don't make any changes in test lists? Do you make any file format changes to a file before checking it in?

Q: [57] Is there any plans to have support for check in policies only on new code. For example we have a project that has old code in it that would take considerable work to validate against the new policies but we want the new code to validate.

A: Not sure what you mean by custom Static analysis fields, I assume that you're talking about Custom Code Analysis Rules? For Managed Code Analysis you can do this right now, but it is not officialy supported right now. See http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=333885&SiteID=1 for more details.

Q: [57] Is there any plans to have support for check in policies only on new code. For example we have a project that has old code in it that would take considerable work to validate against the new policies but we want the new code to validate.

A: We don't have any plans to do anything like this right now; this is an interesting scenario, maybe something that a partner might end up doing. In a custom check-in policy, you could check to see if the code coming in was 'new' or 'old'

Q: [46] How do you create a custom Static analysis field??I mean a customised Static analyser field????

A: Is there any plans to have support for check in policies only on new code. For example we have a project that has old code in it that would take considerable work to validate against the new policies but we want the new code to validate.
A: Not sure what you mean by custom Static analysis fields, I assume that you're talking about Custom Code Analysis Rules? For Managed Code Analysis you can do this right now, but it is not officialy supported right now. See http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=333885&SiteID=1 for more details.

Q: [60] MS claims that the VSTE for Testers is or rather used to test the web applications that we develop in VSTS, but can it be used to test web applications, just like any other WEB testing tools available in the market???

A: You can use the web and load testing tools to test most web applications. You may need to do some more work with the test scripts, but you should be able to write web tests that simulate the server requests for most any app.

Q: [48] Is there been any thought about building any middleware for work items. Right now we are building a site to allow for our customers to make their requests for work items. Now if these customers move to TFS themseleves would want to be able to importtheirs

A: Being able to extend VSTS and think of it as a platform/ecosystem/etc is a huge part of what we were hoping to design into VSTS - there are third parties doing basically the guts of what you are looking to do here already in their own custom solutions - I don't know if they would solve the problem you're looking for, but at least it shows that these types of projects are possible - http://www.teamprise.com/ and http://www.devbiz.com/teamplain/webaccess/ for example.

Q: [56] If I go into Solution Explorer and attempt to rename either webtests or folders that they are in, there's a 50% chance that VS just shuts down. Re-opening the project and showing all files shows that both the original and renamed files are there.

A: Is this something that you can repro for any project or a specific project? We definitely want to know the cause of this and help you out. If you can log your steps in the forums we'll be glad to help you out: http://forums.microsoft.com/msdn/showforum.aspx?forumid=19&siteid=1

Q: [61] My questions would be What is test deployment???And where do I get the Test reports for any web test or load tests??????

A: For the report question, please check out my blog. Here is a link to reports: http://blogs.msdn.com/slumley/archive/2006/04/03/567239.aspx and here is a link to the screen shots: http://blogs.msdn.com/slumley/archive/2006/02/16/533356.aspx

Q: [49] in TEam Developer web projects, in what situations does VS add assemblies to the <Assemblies> section of the web.config? I've noticed that when I build sometimes it wants to check out the web.config and make changes.

A: Profiling, Unit Testing, Code Coverage, and the occasional Team Build scenarios do things like this. For a peek into the type of things that are happening check out: http://blogs.msdn.com/graycode/articles/AspNetOffRoadProfilingArticle.aspx

Q: [61] My questions would be What is test deployment???And where do I get the Test reports for any web test or load tests??????

A: Before the test engine runs one of your tests, it "deploys" the test and other files that you specify to a new directory created specifically for running that test. For example, if you have unit tests in an assembly, it copies that assembly to a "deployment" directory to run the tests there. The purpose of this is to ensure a clean environment. YOu can also specify what other files you want deployed. To read about how to do this, see http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms182473(VS.80).aspx. By "Test reports," do you mean viewing the results, or having something that you can print out? (If you mean viewing the results, start here: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms182495(VS.80).aspx)

Q: [63] How do we set up distributed load using VSTE for Testers???

A: With the VSTT sku you can author web and load tests. You can also run web and load tests against the machine you are doing your development on. In order to run distributed load tests you will need the Team Test Load Agent. Here is a link to product info: http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/teamsystem/products/load/default.aspx If you already have this and need more info on setup, please check out these help docs: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms182634(VS.80).aspx

Q: [65] Slumley_msft regarding question no 60, where can I get tutorials or materials to learn more about the Web coded Tests scripts of C#???I want to learn this script, but I am not able to get my hands on any of it???

A: Here is a link for how to create a web test and then how to convert it to a coded web test. http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms182550(VS.80).aspx Is this what you are looking for?

Q: [64] Is there a plan for TFS DB cleanup. Right now there is no way to permanently Delete checked in code and the DB keeps growing.... Thanks

A: We don't have TFS experts in this chat (this chat is for Dev tools and Test tools), but you could probably get an answer by posting to the source-control forum at http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=478&SiteID=1

Q: [62] In response to Q: [53]... no, I'm not changing test lists at the time. Typically it happens when I check the entire solution (including the VSMDI) into version control and then open a source code file. As soon as I open the sc file the VSMDI checks out

A: What VSTS SKU are you using? I am not aware about this issue. I usually use Team Suite edition and I don't believe it had happened to me. It is possible that when you open test source code our framework changes something in VSMDI but I am not sure what that could be. I will see anyone else among experts seen it.

Q: [69] Slumley_msft regarding question no 65, I see that C# for test scripts are very much different than the C# in Development environment and I want to learn or study more about these ????

A: When you generate a coded c# web test, this should be the same as C# in the development environment? What differences do you want more info on?

Q: [67] How better is VSTE for testers' functional testing than Mercury's QTP????

A: I can tell you that people working at VSTS are really confident about our products. Are we better than competitors? People who use our products will tell. We are committed to our customers and we want feedback from you. We will keep using that feedback to make our products the best in the market. Our first release was an awesome product, we are confident about that, and will keep working to make sure our customers feel better and confident about it each release.

Q: [55] I have been noticing that people say that the VSTE for Testers is not that powerful??? They say that it provides 60% of what Mercury's testing tools provide.. And how would you guys look at this???

A: I've kind of been watching the test team as kind of a fly on the wall close enough to see how they operate and far enough away that I'm not in the thick of it. I'm not in a position to make comparisons, but I'm personally impressed with what they've been able to accomplish so far in such a short time. If they are giving you the 60% you need the most, I think that's a great compliment - especially considering for the 40% that isn't there, you've got the forums, blogs, chats, and a partner ecosystem of third parties ready to help you fill the gaps to get you where you need to be.

Q: [66] It looks like the middleware links you sent me are for web page addins and unix/mac eclipse access for your TFS db. I was getting at thoughts as to how to manage the exact same work items across vendors.

A: There are several strategies you can use to consolidate work items. The first involves migration, in which you map the work item fields from a 3rd party vendor to a work item. An example of this is the ClearQuest migration tool. Next strategy is integration, where you can synchronize data between work items. My recommendation is looking at the WI API in the Visual Studio 2005, and carefully study what data storage and fields are used by 3rd party vendors.

Q: [58] Are TestMethods bound to the DataSource only when run inside the UT framework? I would love for other (external) assemblies to be able to use the UnitTest class methods provided they can still have access to the data when used that way.

A: I am not an expert in assemblies but I believe the datasource is only can be used in inside the test class where where testmethod is defined.

Q: [68] Can I get information about the comparisions of the VSTE for Testers against any other powerful Testing tools in the market????

A: I highly recommend giving it a spin at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/virtuallabs/teamsystem/default.aspx

Q: [70] And finally who are the test partners for VSTE for testers?????

A: I think this is the list you're looking for: http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/teamsystem/downloads/partners/