Define the initial configuration of Git and TFVC

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By using the plug-in for version control, you can configure a project's initial security permissions, check-out policies, and check-in notes.

In the XML file, you specify one or more tasks and their dependencies. Generally, you need only one task to configure settings for version control. For an example of a task that specifies these settings, see the VersionControl.xml file that is defined for the default process templates.

The names of the file, the folder, and the plug-in for the default process templates are as follows:

File name: VersionControl.xml
Folder name: Version Control
Plug-in name: Microsoft.ProjectCreationWizard.VersionControl

You can change the name of the XML file and the folder name but not the name of the plug-in. The system doesn't include a mechanism for the deployment of client-side plug-ins, policies, or other modifications. If you want to deploy this kind of functionality, you must use your own distribution and installation program.

Exclusive Check Out

You can control whether multiple people can check out a file at the same time by specifying the exclusive_checkout element.

<exclusive_checkout required=""/>  

If the required attribute is set to true, only one person can check out a file at a time. If this attribute set to false, multiple people can check out a file at the same time, and they must reconcile changes when they check in the file.

The following example shows how to require exclusive check-out:

<exclusive_checkout required="true"/>  

Get Latest on Check Out

You use the get_latest_on_checkout element to configure the default behavior when a user checks out a file for a project.

<get_latest_on_checkout required=""/>  

If the required attribute is set to true, the most recent version of an item, or tip, is downloaded every time that a user checks it out. This behavior resembles the check-out behavior in Visual SourceSafe.

If the required attribute is set to false, the check-out operation will check out the local version in your workspace. By default, this attribute is set to false.

The following example shows how to specify that the default check-out behavior is to get the most recent version of an item when a user checks it out.

<get_latest_on_checkout required="true"/>  

Check-in Notes

The developer provides check-in notes when he or she checks in code. These notes describe whether the code changes are related to team processes and, if they are, how. For example, a check-in note can indicate whether the change was made because of a security review, and the note can include details about the changes relative to the security review.

You use the following syntax for a checkin_note element

<checkin_note label="" required="" order=""/>  

The following table describes the attributes of the checkin_note element.

The following example shows how to create an additional check-in note labeled "Documentation Impact" which isn't required to have a value.

<taskXml>  
   <checkin_note label="Code Reviewer" required="false" order="1"/>  
   <checkin_note label="Security Reviewer" required="false" order="2"/>  
   <checkin_note label="Performance Reviewer" required="false" order="3"/>   
   <checkin_note label="Documentation Impact" required="false"/>  
</taskXml>  

Permissions

Version control has a specific set of permissions that you can configure for a process template. By specifying permissions, you define what actions security groups and individuals can perform on items that are under version control. For more information, see Control access to functional areas.

The default assignments for TFVC and GIt permissions made to all default process templates are as shown. You can set these permissions after you create the project from the web UI, see Set Git repository permissions or Set TFVC repository permissions.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<tasks>
  <task id="VersionControlTask" name="Create Version Control area" plugin="Microsoft.ProjectCreationWizard.VersionControl" completionMessage="Version control Task completed.">
    <dependencies />
    <taskXml>
      <permission allow="Read, PendChange, Checkin, Label, Lock, ReviseOther, UnlockOther, UndoOther, LabelOther, AdminProjectRights, CheckinOther, Merge, ManageBranch" identity="[$$PROJECTNAME$$]\$$PROJECTADMINGROUP$$" />
      <permission allow="Read, PendChange, Checkin, Label, Lock, Merge" identity="[$$PROJECTNAME$$]\Contributors" />
      <permission allow="Read, PendChange, Checkin, Label, Lock, Merge" identity="[$$PROJECTNAME$$]\Build Administrators" />
      <permission allow="Read" identity="[$$PROJECTNAME$$]\Readers" />
      <exclusive_checkout required="false" />
      <get_latest_on_checkout required="false" />
      <git>
        <permission allow="GenericRead, GenericContribute, Administer, CreateBranch, CreateTag, ManageNote" identity="[$$PROJECTNAME$$]\$$PROJECTADMINGROUP$$" />
        <permission allow="GenericRead, GenericContribute, CreateBranch, CreateTag, ManageNote" identity="[$$PROJECTNAME$$]\Contributors" />
        <permission allow="GenericRead, GenericContribute, CreateBranch, CreateTag, ManageNote" identity="[$$PROJECTNAME$$]\Build Administrators" />
        <permission allow="GenericRead" identity="[$$PROJECTNAME$$]\Readers" />        
      </git>
    </taskXml>
  </task>
</tasks> 

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