Terje Sandstrom

------ Visual Studio ALM MVP ----- (also see new blog at http://hermit.no)
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TFS Workitems : On the fields, their namespaces and in which workitem types they are used

At the moment there are five different popular process templates, three from Microsoft official, one on Codeplex (by some Microsoft guys afaik), and one from Conchango.  The fields defined in the workitemtypes found in these templates belongs to a set of namespaces.  The System namespace is a predefined Microsoft namespace, with special behavior.  The other ones are in reality free text.  However, since some effort has been placed on defining these namespaces, and some of these fields are used in several reports, in mappings to Microsoft Project etc., it is wise to adhere to these definitions. It will at least reduce the work you have to do if you're modifying them, or defining your own types.  It is also wise to keep the fields named as equally as possible between types, and even processes, because it also simplifies querying across types. See http://teamfoundation.blogspot.com/2008/05/work-item-customization-tidbits-part-1.html for a great tutorial on how-to-do-it.

I have listed out the different namespaces, and linked the fields up to whatever workitem type is using them.  I've only included the Microsoft'ish templates - the Conchango template only use the System namespace in addition to its own defined namespace fields.

The Process templates described are:

Microsoft CMMI 4.2   CMMI Download

Microsoft Agile 4.2  Agile Download

Microsoft eScrum 1.1 eScrum Download

Codeplex VSTS Scrum 2.1  VSTS Scrum Download

 

Even if a workitem type has the field defined, it doesn't mean it really uses the field, that is, fills it with useful information. 

 

The different namespaces used in these processes are listed below, and their details below that again:

Namespace No of defined fields Comment
System 26 These fields have special behavior. Even if they are not present in a WIT, they can still be filled with information which can be read from the API or a query. See details http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms194971.aspx.
Microsoft.VSTS.Common 18 Here they've packed in the most common fields, which is used across several processes and types.
Microsoft.VSTS.Build 2 Used by the build system. See details here
Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling 7 Used in Microsoft Project mappings. See f.e. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms364081.aspx and http://www.devx.com/dotnet/Article/30187/1954
Microsoft.VSTS.Test 3 Used by the test system See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms194965.aspx
Microsoft.VSTS.CMMI 40  
Microsoft.eScrum.Common 4  
Microsoft.eScrum.Product 2  
Microsoft.eScrum.Sprint 3  
Microsoft.eScrum.Retrospective 4  
Microsoft.eTools.Bug 18 Probably a leftover from older days, guess it also should have been eScrum, not eTools
Microsoft.eScrum.Task 2  
Scrum 4  

 

 

System Namespace:  (This is the only namespace which is also documented on MSDN)

 

Used in CMMI

Used in Agile

Used in eScrum

Used in VSTS Scrum

AreaId

 

 

Bug

 

AreaPath

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

PBI,PD,Bug,Task

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

AssignedTo

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

PBI,PD,SD,SR,Bug,Task

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

AttachedFileCount

 

 

Bug

 

AuthorizedAs

 

 

Bug

 

ChangedBy

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

PD,SD

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

ChangedDate

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

PD,SD,Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

CreatedBy

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

PD,SD,Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

CreatedDate

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

PD,SD,Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

Description

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

PBI,PD,SD,SR,Bug,Task

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release

ExternalLinkCount

 

 

Bug

 

History

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

(PBI),PD,SD,SR,Bug,(Task)

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

HyperLinkCount

 

 

Bug

 

Id

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

PBI,PD,SD,SR,Bug,Task

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

IterationId

 

 

Bug

 

IterationPath

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

SD,SR,Bug,Task

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

NodeName

 

 

Bug

 

Reason

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

RelatedLinkCount

 

 

Bug

 

Rev

 

 

Bug

 

RevisedDate

 

 

Bug

 

State

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

PBI,PD,SD,SR,Bug,Task

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

TeamProject

 

 

Bug

 

TeamProject

 

 

 

 

Title

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

PBI,Bug,Task

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

WorkItemType

 

 

Bug

 

For CMMI:  CR = Change Request, QoS = QualityOfService requirement, Req = Requirement

For eScrum: PD = ProductDetails, SD = SprintDetails, SR = SprintRetrospective, Task = SprintTask, PBI = ProductBacklogItem

 

Microsoft.VSTS.Common namespace

 

Name

Used in CMMI

Used in Agile

Used in eScrum

Used in VSTS Scrum

ActivatedBy

Risk,Review,Requirement,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

ActivatedDate

Risk,Review,Requirement,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

ClosedBy

Risk,Review,RRequirementeq,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

ClosedDate

Risk,Review,Requirement,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

Discipline

Task

Task

 

Backlog,UserStory

Exit Criteria

Risk,Requirement,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Task

 

Backlog,UserStory,Release

Issue

Risk,Requirement,Issue,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

 

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release

IssueType

 

 

Bug

 

Priority

Risk,Requirement,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Bug

Bug,Task

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release

QualityOfServiceType

 

QoS

 

 

Rank

Risk,Requirement,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Release

Regression

 

 

Bug

 

ResolvedBy

Risk,Review,Requirement,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,QoS,Bug

Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

ResolvedDate

Risk,Review,Requirement,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,QoS,Bug

Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

ResolvedReason

 

Bug

Bug

Defect

RoughOrderOfMagnitude

  

Scenario,QoS

    

Severity

Risk,Bug,Task

Risk

Bug

 

StateChangeDate

Risk,Review,Requirement,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

Triage

Requirement,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Bug

Bug

Defect,Impediment

 

 Microsoft.VSTS.Build namespace

 

Name

Used in CMMI :

Used in Agile :

Used in eScrum

Used in VSTS Scrum:

FoundIn

Risk,Bug

Risk,Bug

Bug

Defect

IntegrationBuild

Risk,Review,Req,Issue,CR,Bug,Task

Scenario,Risk,QoS,Bug,Task

Bug

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Impediment,Release,Review

CR = Change Request, QoS = QualityOfService requirement, Req = Requirement

Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling namespace

Name

Used in CMMI

Used in Agile

Used in eScrum

Used in VSTS Scrum

RemainingWork

Risk,Req,CR,Bug,Task

Task

Task

Backlog,UserStory,Release

CompletedWork

Risk,Req,CR,Bug,Task

Task

Task

Backlog,UserStory,Release

BaselineWork

Risk,Req,CR,Bug,Task

Task

PBI,Task

Backlog,UserStory,Release

StartDate

Task

Scenario,QoS,Task

 

Backlog,UserStory,Release

FinishDate

Task

Scenario,QoS,Task

 

Backlog,UserStory,Release

TaskHierarchy

Task

Task

Task

Backlog,UserStory,Release
 
CR = Change Request, QoS = QualityOfService requirement, Req = Requirement

 

Microsoft.VSTS.Test namespace

Name

Used in CMMI

Used in Agile

Used in eScrum types

Used in VSTS Scrum

 

 

 

 

 

TestName

Bug,Task

Risk,Bug

Bug

Defect

TestId

Bug,Task

Risk,Bug

Bug

Defect

TestPath

Bug,Task

Risk,Bug

Bug

Defect

 

 

Microsoft.VSTS.CMMI namespace     (Not used in Agile or eScrum)

 

Name Used in CMMI Used in VSTS Scrum

ActualAttendee[1-8]

Review

  

Analysis

Issue

Impediment

Blocked

Risk,Requirement,CR,Bug,Task

Backlog,UserStory,Defect,Release

CalledBy

Review

Review

CalledDate

Review

Review

Comments

Review

Review

Committed

Requirement

  

CorrectiveActionActualResolution

Issue

Impediment

CorrectiveActionPlan

Issue

Impediment
Escalate Issue Impediment
Estimate Risk,Requirement,CR,Bug,Task  
FoundInEnvironment Bug  
HowFound Bug  
ImpactAssessment Requirement  
ImpactOnArchitecture Change Request  
ImpactOnDevelopment Change Request  
ImpactOnProjectPromise Issue Impediment
ImpactOnTechnicalPublications Change Request  
ImpactOnTest Change Request  
ImpactOnUserExperience Change Request  
Justification Change Request  
MeetingType Review Review
Minutes Review Review
MitigationPlan Risk  
MitigationTriggers Risk  
OptionalAttendee[1-8] Review  
Probability Risk  
ProposedFix Bug  
Purpose Review Review
RequiredAttendee[1-8] Review  
RequirementType Requirement  
RequiresReview Task  
RequiresTest Task  
RootCause Bug  
StepsToReproduce Bug  
SubjectMatterExpert[1-3] Requirement  
Symptom Bug  
TargetResolveDate Issue Impediment
TaskType Task  
UserAcceptanceTest Requirement UserStory

 

And then some special namespaces which are only used by one process

 

Microsoft.eScrum.Common namespace

Name

Used in eScrum

Category

ProductBacklogItem,SprintTask

Order

ProductBacklogItem,SprintTask

Goals

ProductBacklogItem,SprintDetails

Source

ProductBacklogItem

 

 

Microsoft.eScrum.Product namespace

Name

Used in eScrum

MembersXml

ProductDetails

BugDatabasesXml

ProductDetails

 

     

     

    Microsoft.eScrum.Sprint namespace

    Name

    Used in eScrum

    StartDate

    SprintDetails

    EndDate

    SprintDetails

    MembersXml

     
     

       

       

      Microsoft.eScrum.SprintRetrospective

      Name

      Used in eScrum

      Date

      SprintRetrospective

      WhatWentWell

      SprintRetrospective

      WhatDidNotGoWell

      SprintRetrospective

      Improvements

      SprintRetrospective

       

       

       

      Microsoft.eTools.Bug namespace

      Name

      Used in eScrum

      ReproSteps

      Bug

      DevEstimate

      Bug

      TestEstimate

      Bug

      PMEstimate

      Bug

      Environment

      Bug

      Accessibility

      Bug

      Source

      Bug

      HowFound

      Bug

      Market

      Bug

      OSPlatform

      Bug

      Browsers

      Bug

      SourceID

      Bug

      Cause

      Bug

      Change

      Bug

      KBNeeded

      Bug

      Product

      Bug

      Release

      Bug

      Milestone

      Bug
       

         

         

        Microsoft.eScrum.Task namespace

        Name

        Used in eScrum

        ProductBacklogItemId

        Task

        Discovered

        Task
         
         

         

        Scrum namespace

        Name

        Used in VSTS Scrum

        Complexity

        Backlog,UserStory,Release

        Acceptance

        UserStory

        Owner

        UserStory

        BuildInstructions

        Release

       

posted on Sunday, December 14, 2008 4:06 PM