Process configuration XML element reference

Description

Optional. Container element for portfolio backlogs.

Optional. Up to five instances.

Container element that defines the state category mappings, default columns, and quick add panel for a portfolio backlog.

<PortfolioBacklog category="PortfolioCategory" parent="ParentCategory"  
pluralName="PluralName" singularName="SingleName" workItemCountLimit="MaximumLimit>  
<States> . . . </States>  
<Columns> . . . </Columns>  
<AddPanel> . . . </ AddPanel>  
</PortfolioBacklog >  

Assign values to the attributes as described:

• category: Specify the name of a category that you have defined in the categories definition file for the project that contains the WITs to be associated with this backlog type.

• parent: Specify the name of the category that represents the parent portfolio backlog within the hierarchy.

• pluralName: Specify the plural label to use when referring to the WITs associated with this backlog type. For example, Stories, Goals, Initiatives, or Epics.

• singularName: Specify the singular label to use when referring to the WITs associated with this backlog type. For example, Story, Goal, Initiative, or Epic.

• workItemCountLimit: Specify an integer. Default is 1000. Backlogs and boards will limit the count of items displayed based on this limit.

Required. One instance only.

Container element that defines the state category mappings, default columns, and quick add panel for the product backlog. The product backlog displays all active items in the team's backlog.

<RequirementBacklog category="RequirementCategory"  
pluralName="PluralName" singularName="SingleName"   
workItemCountLimit="MaximumLimit" >  
<States> . . . </States>
<Columns> . . . </Columns>
<AddPanel> . . . </ AddPanel>
</RequirementBacklog >

Required. One instance only.

Container element used to customize the layout of sprint backlogs.

<TaskBacklog category="Microsoft.TaskCategory" pluralName="Tasks" 
singularName="Task workItemCountLimit="MaximumLimit">
. . . 
</TaskBacklog > 

Description

Required. Assigns a workflow state to a state category.

<State value="ValueName" type="TypeName" />

Valid values for ValueName correspond to a value assigned to a STATE within the WORKFLOW section of those WITs assigned to the category group.

Valid values for TypeName correspond to one of the following enumerated values:

• Agile: Use for all work item types.
• Proposed: Indicates work items that are new, not yet committed, or not yet being worked on.
• InProgress: Indicates work items that have been committed or are actively being worked on.
• Complete: Indicates work items that have been implemented. For the Kanban board to be valid, exactly one workflow state must be mapped to the Complete state category. If additional workflow states need to be represented, they can be mapped to the Resolved state category.
  Once a workflow state transitions to a state that is associated with the Complete metastate, the associated work item will fall off the product backlog. However, it will continue to be listed in the last column on the Kanban board.
  
  Work items in a workflow state that aren't mapped to one of the state categories don't appear on the backlog or board.
• Bug: Use only for work item types grouped within the Bug Category. In addition to the Agile state categories, includes the Resolved state category which indicates bugs that have been resolved.
  
  

• Feedback: Use only for work item types grouped within the Feedback Request or Feedback Response categories. Requested, Received, Reviewed, and Declined.

Specifies a collection of State elements that associate WIT workflow states with state categories.

Required element for the following parent elements:

• BugWorkItems
• PortfolioBacklog
• RequirementBacklog
• TaskBacklog
• TestPlanWorkItems
• TestSuiteWorkItems
• FeedbackRequestWorkItems
• FeedbackResponseWorkItems

Description

Specifies a collection of Column elements. Required element for the backlog elements: PortfolioBacklog, RequirementBacklog, and TaskBacklog.

Specifies a field to appear as a column on a backlog.

<Column refname="FieldReferenceName"  width="FieldWidth" />

Description

Container element used to specify the "quick add" experience, the fields to appear within the panel area where new backlog items are defined.

Specifies a collection of Field elements.

Specifies a work item field to appear within the panel for the product backlog.

<Field refname="FieldReferenceName"/>

The same field should appear on the work item form of each WIT included in the category for the backlog.

Description

Optional. Container element that defines the state category mappings for work item types assigned to the Bug Category. In addition to how these mappings are used in the display of Agile tools, they also control how the My Work feature in Team Explorer updates the bug state as developers move bugs using My Work. To learn more, see Get your code reviewed (TFVC).

<BugWorkItems category="CategoryName"  
pluralName="PluralName" singularName="SingleName">
<States>
. . .
</States>
</BugWorkItems>

Required. Do not customize. Container element that defines the state category mappings for work item types assigned to the feedback request category.

<FeedbackResponseWorkItems category="CategoryName"  
pluralName="PluralName" singularName="SingleName">
<States>
. . .
</States>
</FeedbackRequestWorkItems>

Required. Do not customize. Container element that defines the state category mappings for work item types assigned to the feedback response category.

<FeedbackResponseWorkItems category="CategoryName"  
pluralName="PluralName" singularName="SingleName">
<States>
. . .
</States>
</FeedbackResponseWorkItems>```

Only required when you customize the workflow state for Test Plan and you support connections to the project from versions of Test Manager installed with Visual Studio 2013.2 or earlier versions.

Container element that defines the state category mappings for work item types assigned to the Test Plan Category. For example:

<TestPlanWorkItems category="Microsoft.TestPlanCategory"  
pluralName="Test Plans" singularName="Test Plan">
<States>
<State type="InProgress" value="Design" />
<State type="InProgress" value="Testing" />
<State type="Complete" value="Signed Off" />
</States>
</TestPlanWorkItems>

Only required when you customize the workflow state for Test Suite and you support connections to the project from versions of Test Manager installed with Visual Studio 2013.2 or earlier versions.

Container element that defines the state category mappings for work item types assigned to the Test Suite Category. For example:

<TestSuiteWorkItems  
category="Microsoft.TestSuiteCategory"  
pluralName="Test Suites" singularName="Test Suite">
<States>
<State type="Proposed" value="Authoring" />
<State type="InProgress" value="Testing" />
<State type="Complete" value="Completed" />
</States>
</TestSuiteWorkItems>

Description

Required. Specifies a collection of TypeField elements.

Required. Specifies the reference name of a field whose value supports a type of activity for a feature area. The fields you specify should correspond to the fields that you use within the WITs used to capture the feature information.

<TypeField refname="FieldReferenceName"  
type="NameOfType" [format="{0} TimeUnitString"] / >

Specify the format only when type="RemainingWork". You can specify any text string for the TimeUnitString that you want to have appear on the capacity bars on the current sprint backlog and on the task board.

For Agile tools:

• Activity: Used to support the capacity-by-activity feature. Specify the same field used in the WIT assigned to the Task Category.

• Effort: Used to calculate the team velocity. Specify the same field used in the WIT assigned to the Requirement Category that you use to capture the estimated level of effort, story points, or size for the amount of work that a backlog item requires to implement.

• Order: Used to define the sort order for items on the backlogs and boards. The system lists work items according to their ascending order as defined by the field for this type.

• RemainingWork: Used to calculate remaining work and burndown charts. Specify the same field used in the WIT assigned to the Task Category which you use to capture the hours, days, or other unit of measurement that remain to finish a task.
  The value that you specify for format is used on the sprint backlogs and task boards wherever remaining work is reported. For example, when reporting capacity-by-activity or capacity per team member, or next to the column heading for the task states on the task board.
  For TimeUnitString, specify any text string that you want to use to reflect the time value, such as hours or days.
  For example, the following values are all valid:
  format="{0} h"
format="{0} hours"
format="hours {0}"
format="time {0}"
• Team: Used to associate the backlogs with a team. The default value is System.AreaPath. To decouple teams from area paths, you can specify a different field, as described in Use team fields instead of area paths to support teams.
  For the feedback request form:
  

• ApplicationStartInformation: Used to capture the path to execute the application.

• ApplicationLaunchInstructions: Used to capture launch instructions.

• ApplicationType: Used to capture the type of application. The types listed correspond to the allowed values specified in the WIT definition for the feedback request.

Required for the TypeFieldValue when type="ApplicationType". Specifies a collection of TypeFieldValue elements which are used in the feedback request form.

Required. Do not customize. Specifies the name of an application type to appear on the feedback request form.

<TypeFieldValue value="ApplicationTypeName" type="TypeApp"/>

The default assignments correspond to the allowed values specified in the type definition for the feedback request form.

<TypeFieldValues>
<TypeFieldValue value="Web application" type="WebApp" />
<TypeFieldValue value="Remote machine" type="RemoteMachine" />
<TypeFieldValue value="Client application" type="ClientApp" />
</TypeFieldValues>

Description

Required child of the Weekends element.

Specifies a day of the week that corresponds to a non-working day.

<DayOfWeek>NameOfADay</DayOfWeek>

Valid names correspond to the English days of the week: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Optional. Container element used to specify non-working days.

Specify non-working days when you want to account for non-working days in the calculation of capacity and burndown charts.

Description

Optional. Container element for specifying colors for work item types.

Specifies the colors used to display a WIT within the web portal. The primary color is used in list displays. The secondary color is no longer referenced, however you must specify it for the syntax to validate.

When specifying the color, always prefix the six-digit Hex color code with FF which denotes that the color should be fully visible.

<WorkItemColor primary="HexColorCode" secondary="HexColorCode"  
name="witName" />

Description

Optional. Container element for specifying default properties and behaviors.

Specifies the default assignment made to new teams or existing teams when updating a project with new features. Teams can choose the behavior they want through their team settings.

Valid property names are:

• BugsBehavior sets the default for the Show bugs on backlogs and board. Allowed values correspond to:
  
• AsRequirements — Bugs appear on backlogs and boards similar to requirements (default for Scrum process)
• AsTasks — Bugs appear on backlogs and boards similar to tasks (default for Agile and CMMI processes)
• Off — Bugs don't appear on backlogs or boards
  
• HiddenBacklogs specifies the backlog that's inactive by default.
• StateColors sets the color values for workflow states. (Requires TFS 2017 or later version)
  The value for the property is a comma-separated list of state names and hex colors. Prefix the six-digit Hex color code with FF which denotes that the color should be fully visible.
  <Property name="StateColors" value="stateName1=color1, stateName2=color2,..." />
  
  

• WorkItemTypeIcons defines the icon to display for each work item type. The icon displays in lists of work items and in work item forms. The default entry for the Agile process is as shown. You can only specify an icon from the supported list of icons.
  
  

<Property name="WorkItemTypeIcons" 
value="Epic=Icon_Crown,Feature=Icon_Trophy,  
User Story=icon_book,Task=icon_clipboard,Bug=icon_insect,  
Issue=icon_traffic_cone,Test Plan=icon_test_plan,Test Suite=icon_test_suite,  
Test Case=icon_test_beaker,Shared Steps=icon_test_step,Shared Parameter=icon_test_parameter" />