Use IIS redirect for TFS

By default the TFS setup creates on your IIS Default Web Site an application named TFS. In most setups I’ve seen so far, the used IIS is only used by TFS so why not use HTTP Redirect for your TFS application?

The typical scenario looks somehow like this:

TFS is installed on a virtual machine, inside Default Web Site, nothing else installed on Default Web Site.
DNS-Name is something similar to https://tfs.<domain>.com
TFS webaccess Url is similar to https://tfs.<domain>.com/tfs
If you browse https://tfs.<domain>.com you’ll get an 403 error, not authenticated.

Would be fine if the default domain would redirect to the TFS application like this:

On your Default Web Site go to Http Redirect:

In the screenshot below you can see how the redirect should be configured

MSBuild–Visual Studio project template

Based on the ide of Sayed Ibrahim Hashimi’s blog post about “Hijacking the Visual Studio Build Process” I’ve created a small Visual Studio project template for custom MSBuild based projects which you can find in the Visual Studio gallery.

Why should I care about it?

• Build/Rebuild/Clean inside visual studio without switching to the command line
• Easier to maintain files inside a project than inside “solution files”
• IntelliSense
• Source control integration
• Visual Studio editor experience
• …

The first screenshot is showing you how the project experience will look like. You can see the green + sign which indicates that this project was added to source control but not yet committed/checked-in.

The second screenshot shows you how IntelliSense can look like, I’m using ReSharper so maybe on your machine it can look a little bit different. 

VSGallery: MSBuild Empty Project Template

Override the TFS Team Build OutDir – Part 2

I’ve already written about the MSBuild workaround using the property switch:

/p:GenerateProjectSpecificOutputFolder=true

You can read more about this here

But what is better than a workaround?

Windows 8.1 + OneNote – fix shortcut for screen clippings

With Windows 8.1 update, Microsoft added the new shortcut for Win + S to “search everywhere” (with bing, maybe we should call it: bing it).

In the past this screenshot was used by Microsoft Office OneNote to take screen clippings. Sometime it really takes lot’s of time to fix a bug like this …

But there is a workaround –> regedit for Win + A alternative

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\OneNote\Options\Other]
"ScreenCLippingShortcutKey"=dword:00000041

Source: http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-onenote/archive/2013/06/27/try-windows-8-1-preview-and-bring-back-your-favorite-shortcut-key.aspx

5 minutes to cleanup your context menu from overloaded git commands …

How many git tools have you installed? Is your context menu overloaded like on the screenshot to the right? Git for Windows, Git Extensions, tortoisegit and other tools are creating lots of redundant command menu entries. Most of the time you won’t need multiple ways of doing a fetch or a command or even want to do all the stuff from the commandline. Take time to cleanup unnecessary stuff from your developer machine and because there will be the nice side effect of faster opening context menus.

But how, lets continue here …

Got 15 minutes and want to learn Git?

Are you new to git our recently started working with git command-line?

Try it out inside your browser: http://try.github.io/levels/1/challenges/1

Learn how to master branches here: http://pcottle.github.io/learnGitBranching/

Visual Studio/TFS 2013 Patches

With the new version of Visual Studio 2013 and Team Foundation 2013 Microsoft has delivered lots of new features. Unfortunately they have also introduced some new bugs with their last minute changes however they have managed to provide some quick fixes for some of them.

Last update: 14.11.2013

08.11.2013	Updated Team Foundation Server 2013 download addressing web and installation path issues Fixed: Red error box when using Code (version control) in the web UI Fixed: Unable to install into a custom path	Updated install media
08.11.2013	Visual Studio and Team Explorer 2013 no longer require IE 10 for installation But check the KB article for known issues when not using IE10	Updated install media
13.11.2013	Patch for issue with Visual Studio 2013 Queue Build dialog	Hotfix

What’s installed on the build machine in Visual Studio Online(Team Foundation Service)?

Great question, great answers …

official	http://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/get-started/hosted-build-controller-vs#software
in detail	http://listofsoftwareontfshostedbuildserver.azurewebsites.net
inside VS2012	Avanade Extensions for VS2012
inside VS2013	Avanade Extensions for VS2013

Keyboard shortcuts for working in Team Web Access and Team Explorer

Shortcuts, next round …

You can use the keyboard shortcuts listed in this topic when you work within Team Web Access (TWA) or Team Explorer. In addition to these shortcuts, you can assign your own shortcuts on the Tools/Options/Environment/Keyboard page.

• Navigate within Team Web Access
• Navigate within lists
• Navigate within Team Explorer
  • Execute work item commands in Team Explorer
  • Navigate within the query editor
  • Navigate within the query results list view
  • Open and close query views

Source: MSDN (Keyboard shortcuts for working in Team Web Access and Team Explorer)

Override the TFS Team Build OutDir property in .NET 4.5

Fighting against TFS Build default OutDir for binaries like:

• <drop>/Binaries (TFS 2010)
• <drop>/bin (TFS 2012, TFS 2013)

Instead you want to have for each project a separate folder like this:

• <drop>/<projectname>/*.dll

Thanks to .Net 4.5 there is an easy solution to solve this

Pass the following MSBuild-Argument to your BuildProcessTemplate:

/p:GenerateProjectSpecificOutputFolder=true

Source: http://blog.stangroome.com/2012/05/10/override-the-tfs-team-build-outdir-property-net-4-5/

Override the TFS Team Build OutDir property in .NET 4.5

Fighting against TFS Build default OutDir for Binaries like

• <drop>/Binaries (TFS 2010)
• <drop>/bin (TFS 2012, TFS 2013)

Instead you want to have for each project a separate folder like this:

• <drop>/<projectname>/*.dll

Thanks to .Net 4.5 there is an easy solution to solve this

Pass the following MSBuild-Argument to your BuildProcessTemplate:

/p:GenerateProjectSpecificOutputFolder=true

Source: http://blog.stangroome.com/2012/05/10/override-the-tfs-team-build-outdir-property-net-4-5/

Windows 8.1 Shortcuts

Windows 8.1 will be public available on October 17th 2013.
Windows 8 introduced a lot of new shortcuts with support for Windows 8 Apps. With Windows 8.1 support of new Windows 8.1 App features like multi monitor support, new shortcuts emerged and some existing shortcuts have been changed.

Command Bars/Charms
Windows + C	This shortcut gives you view the Settings, Devices, Start, Share & Search. swipe: from right hot-corner: top right
Windows + I	Window Restart, Shutdown, Sleep, Taskbar Notification Icons like Network, Sound Control, Brightness, Notifications, Keyboard.
Windows + X	Menu for frequent Administrator Tasks
Windows + K	Display Devices to share with.
Windows + P	Project/Extend to an additional screen
Windows + H	Display Share options.
Search	Location
Windows + S	Everywhere
Windows + Q	Everywhere
Windows + W	Settings
Windows + F	Files
Apps
Windows + Z	Open the current application's application bar.
Windows + Left/Right	Snap/Split App to the left/right.
Windows + Up	If active App window is snapped/spitted –> full size.
Windows + Down	Close and end App.
Windows + :	Change to App window snap/split mode.
Windows + ;	Preview “Desktop background”
Windows + Shift + Left/Right	Move app to monitor. (Windows 8: Windows + PgUp/PgDn)
Start/Tiles
Strg + Tab	Switch between tiles an apps
Desktop
Windows + T	Displays the Window Group Thumbnails on your taskbar. This is equivalent of hovering the mouse over the Taskbar Icons. Press Space to activate a Thumbnail.
Windows + B	Go to the notification area
Windows + 1 … 0	Opens 1…10th application on taskbar with  Normal Privileges. You can use the following values for applications on Taskbar.
Windows + Ctrl + Shift + 0	Opens 1…10th application on taskbar with  Elevated Privileges. You can use the following values for applications on Taskbar.
Miscellaneous
Windows	Toggle between Modern Desktop & Legacy Desktop.
Windows + D	Takes you to Classic Windows Desktop. If you press this key from the Modern Desktop, this takes you to the currently active application on the Classic Desktop.
Windows + M	From the Modern Desktop, this takes you to the currently active application on the Classic Desktop and minimizes all other applications on the Classic Desktop.

Missing Shortcuts but workarounds:

Shortcut for “Networks charm”

Windows + B gets you to the notification area. You could either arrow key over to the icon, or set it as the first icon (from the left). Then, all you have to do is: Win + B, Enter.
Source: http://superuser.com/a/541163


more shortcuts:

• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/new-keyboard-shortcuts
• http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/windows-8-keyboard-shortcuts/
• http://productivity.ben61a.com/windows/windows-8-shortcut-keys.php

GIT-TF Tips and Tricks

description (codeplex)

Git-TF is a set of cross-platform, command line tools that facilitate sharing of changes between TFS and Git.
These tools make it easy to clone sources from TFS, fetch updates from TFS, and update TFS with changes committed locally in Git.

Git-TF is a handy command line extension to TFS if you want to use distributed source control for advanced scenarios.
In general Git-TF is working fine. However there are some scenarios where you’ll get some headache fixing git-tf to tfs-source-control conversion history.

• TFS don’t like it if you have multiple heads
• some issues with complex history paths which result in high cpu usage of java.exe
• avoid complex branch trees with merges, really!

 

How to do it?

avoid merges

instead rebase!

 

Alias

the following git aliases come in handy if your working with git-tf

Git Tools for Windows

Visual Studio 2013

description

Visual Studio 2013 has native support for git repositores for file versioning. However not all advanced features are supported like line by line staging, rebase, …
However VS2013 is working fine together with other git tools like msysgit, gitextensions.

 

usage scenarios

• basic source control handling inside visual studio

TIPS

• for advanced scenarios use tools like msysgit or gitextensions

Git-TF

description (codeplex)

Git-TF is a set of cross-platform, command line tools that facilitate sharing of changes between TFS and Git.
These tools make it easy to clone sources from TFS, fetch updates from TFS, and update TFS with changes committed locally in Git.

usage scenarios

• clones tfs 2008/2010/2012 source control repositories into local git repositories.
• local offline usage
• local commit
• local branches

tips

• use a separate branch for your development
• rebase instead of merge to avoid tfs checkin conflicts

Visual Studio Tools for Git

Description (VS-Gallery)

The Visual Studio Tools for Git is an extension for Team Explorer that provides source control integration for Git. This extension enables integration with any local Git repository, and it provides tools to work with third party hosted Git repositories. The extension also enables the use of Team Foundation Service hosted Git projects.

usage scenarios

• Git Source Control integration with VS 2012
• basic source control handling inside visual studio

tips

• for advanced scenarios use tools like msysgit or gitextensions

Git Extensions

description (code.google.com)

Git Extensions is the only graphical user interface for Git that allows you control Git without using the commandline. It comes with a manual and video tutorials to get you started quickly.

usage scenarios

• using Git without using the command-line
• basic and advanced source control operations

tips

• configure Visual Studio 2012/2013 as merge tool
• msysgit will be installed with Git Extensions if not already installed

msysgit

description

Git bash commandline client for windows (simple installer), not all advanced features are supported like python scripting integration.

usage scenarios

• basic and advanced source control operations
• if like the command line – use it

tips

• works fine hosted inside conemu

posh-git

description (github)

A set of PowerShell scripts which provide Git/PowerShell integration.

usage scenarios

• basic and advanced source control operations
• if like the command line – use it
• if you like the power of PowerShell – use it

tips

• works fine hosted inside conemu
• command ‘ii .’ will open explorer in current folder path
• combine ‘VS Developer Command Promt’ with powershell and posh-git –> eg: run msbuild and vs-tools inside powershell

SourceTree

description (atlassian)

A free Mercurial and Git client for Windows or Mac
SourceTree is a powerful Git and Mercurial desktop client for developers on Mac or Windows

usage scenarios

• using Git without using the command-line
• basic and advanced source control operations

tips

• nice for organizing multiple git repos using tree folder structure
• supports git-flow branching model

SmartGit

description (syntevo)

SmartGit/Hg is a client for Git and Mercurial. It runs on Mac OS X, Windows and Linux.

usage scenarios

• cross plattform UI client for git
• using Git without using the command-line
• basic and advanced source control operations

tips

• supports git-flow branching model
• fastest UI client
• review mode

Github for Windows

description (github)

• Develop on Windows, share on GitHub.
• Clone Repositories
• Browse History
• Commit Changes
• Branch Code
• Share on GitHub.com
• The easiest way to use Git on Windows.

usage scenarios

• using Git without using the command-line
• basic and advanced source control operations
• Simple UI in ‘Modern UI’ Style
• Git Shell command line (powershell)

tips

• includes posh-git inside of Git Shell

Unzipping/extracting MSI files

Not that often but sometimes I need to extract some dlls from msi packages. msiexec provides all the functions which are needed as described here.

Usually I’m working using the command line

msiexec /a foo.msi /qb TARGETDIR="C:\TEMP\Foo"

but sometimes it’s helpful to have a context menu entry like this.

To add the Extract MSI entry to the context menu you’ve to add it to the registry, details here or use gist below. The second gist shows how a .bat file which can extract all msi’s in a folder can look like.

VS2012.2 – tips and tricks–team explorer shortcuts and patterns

With the upcoming Visual Studio 2012 Update 2 and Visual Studio Tools for Git support for Git source control is coming to visual studio.

For this the Visual Studio team has adopted some parts of VS2012 new Team Explorer UI to make it easier to connect to different repositories in a quicker way.

Like in my previous shortcuts and patterns post I’ve tried to adapt the existing pattern to support the new Visual Studio Tools for Git extension.

Team commands	shortcuts
View.TfsTeamExplorer	SHIFT + ALT + V, T
View.TfsSourceControlExplorer	SHIFT + ALT + V, S

Pattern for “classic” Team Explorer commands: SHIFT + ALT + T

Team Explorer commands	shortcuts
Team.TeamExplorerSearch	STRG + ä
TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToHome	SHIFT + ALT + T, H
TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToBuilds	SHIFT + ALT + T, B
TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToWorkItems	SHIFT + ALT + T, W
TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToPendingChanges	SHIFT + ALT + T, P
TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToMyWork	SHIFT + ALT + T, M
TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToWebAccess	SHIFT + ALT + T, A

Pattern for Editor/SourceControl: SHIFT + ALT + S

TFS Editor/SourceControl commands	shortcuts
File.TfsHistory	SHIFT + ALT + S, H
File.TfsAnnotate	SHIFT + ALT + S, A
File.TfsCompare	SHIFT + ALT + S, C
File.TfsUndoCheckout	SHIFT + ALT + S, U

Pattern for Git Team Explorer commands: SHIFT + ALT + T

Team Explorer commands	shortcuts	scope
Team.Git.GoToGitBranches	SHIFT + ALT + G, B	global
Team.Git.GoToGitChanges	SHIFT + ALT + G, G	global
Team.Git.GoToGitCommits	SHIFT + ALT + G, C	global
Team.Git.OpenCommandPrompt	SHIFT + ALT + O, P	Team Explorer
Team.Git.OpenFileExplorer	SHIFT + ALT + O, E	Team Explorer
Team.Git.Push	SHIFT + ALT + G, P	Team Explorer
Team.Git.ViewHistory	SHIFT + ALT + G, H	global