Chapter 12. Customizing Process Templates

WHAT'S IN THIS CHAPTER?

  • Understanding the artifacts contained in a process template

  • Using the Process Template Editor

  • Learning about custom work item controls

  • Deploying custom work item controls to client machines

Although Team Foundation Server contains several great out-of-the-box process templates, and several quality third-party process templates exist in the supporting ecosystem, you may find the need to customize the process template in a multitude of different ways. Tools are available for editing the artifacts necessary for customizing a team project's process template.

This chapter introduces you to these tools and the different types of customizations that are available. You will also learn how to easily deploy changes to work item type definitions through the use of the automated build system in Team Foundation Server.

ANATOMY OF A PROCESS TEMPLATE

Process templates are built around the concept that a process should enable you, rather than hinder you. If you implement too little of a process, you must expend significant effort to stay on track. The inroads you make on a project will fully depend on the organizational skills of your team. The infrastructure will not support or enforce your process. Too much process inhibits productivity and velocity.

Process templates in Team Foundation Server 2010 provide a way to introduce the process to the entire team without getting in the way. When you create a new team project, process templates ...

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