How does VSTS Task board column customization works? - tfs

In TFS 2017 (Web based) task board (for each iteration path), we don't see column customization options to add or remove but after migrating on premise TFS I can see some of the existing iterations having the existing customized column.
Where all the details are saved (configuration portal or TFS DB) and how can we enable option to configure columns for task board?

Regarding custom task board columns in TFS, you can refer to this thread: Modify the columns of the Sprint Board in team foundation server
Regarding VSTS, as Danko said that the feature is not available.

I believe that you are asking for the customization of the VSTS Task Board columns, which is still planned as a feature to be done, and not available yet. You could vote for it at the Visual Studio Uservoice.

Related

Is it possible to export/import board configuration from TFS (or Azure DevOps)

I've to create several very similar projects in TFS.
It is possible to export and import several TFS configuration, for instance, work items and process definition.
Is it possible to do the same for board configuration? For instance, column, card and tag style rules?
Try this tool Azure Boards Kanban Tools. It copies configuration between boards.
What you are looking for is export and import Board settings as Templates.
Unfortunately, there is no such build-in setting or configuration in Azure DevOps Server(TFS)/Azure DevOps Service.
You could submit a user voice. Our PM will kindly review any
suggestion.
https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/spaces/21/visual-studio-team-services.html?type=idea
Besides, you could also try to use that extension Azure Boards Kanban Tools release by Azure DevOps Rangers. It seems come from here, take a look at this similar question: Is it possible to save Board settings as Templates in VSTS?

Viewing Unparented bugs and tasks in TFS 2015

We have recently upgraded to TFS 2015 from TFS 2013.
We've also moved over a project to TFS 2015 (which has been running since TFS 2010) which is using agile process.
We'd like to make use of the task board to display bugs and tasks, and almost all of them are not linked to a parent yet.
When I go to 'Working with bugs'-> 'Bugs appear on the backlogs and boards with tasks'
I only see user stories appearing on the task board (and any tasks linked to a user story). Please let me know how I can configure unparented bugs and tasks to appear on the board.
You should install to TFS2015 Update 1 (or better to Update 2) in order to have the unparented bugs displayed in task board.

TFS 2013 Custom dashboard widget

I have been tasked with creating a custom planning view from TFS.
I have a reasonable amount of experience with the TFS Api but I want to try and avoid having to create and maintain a new application for this.
I have looked at SSRS for TFS but I am unable to access all of the data I need (tags etc.) so this is not an option (as it will invalidate support).
I would ideally like to create a "widget" to appear on one of the TFS dashboards but am not sure where to start. The widget would also need to allow access to the TFS api to gather the data it needs to generate.
Please can someone advise where I may look to start or an alternative approach.
You may want to take a look at http://integrate.visualstudio.com where you can find documentation for the TFS API. The REST API works for TFS 2015 and above.
While you can extend the web interface with Extensions (https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/) in Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS), this feature is not yet available in TFS on-premises as of TFS 2015 Update 1.
You can check the published feature timeline for updates, but at this time extensions for TFS are marked as "TBD".
If you're working with TFS2013 + Update2 or a higher version of TFS, it is allowed for Team Administrators to customize TFS dashboard via pinning items to the homepage without writing any code.
For example, if you would like to add a chart into the dashboard, you just need to go to the query’s Charts page and pin it to the home page. See the following image (quoted from this MSDN article)

New Task will not appear in TFS web access mode/Sprint board,when created in Visual Studio

I have a scrum/Agile project running in TFS 2013. In web access mode I can define tasks and assign it to my backlog item(Work tab/Backlogs/Current/Sprint X) and it appears in Sprint Board obviously. but when i want to define new task through Visual Studio/Team Explorer/Work Items, the Iteration is my current Sprint but there`s no backlog to choose!!!
so any task that defined here will not appear in TFS board.
what kind of tasks are these??they are in my sprint but related to no backlog item!?!?
is there any way to show them in web access area??
You need to make sure to create a parent link to the PBI/UserStory/Requirement.
Orphan tasks won't show up in the sprint board, and one of the benefits of web access is it usually creates the links for you automatically, on VS you need to create the link manually.
Also be sure to set the area properly if you have multiple teams.

Is it possible to add PBIs/tasks to TFS without visual studio?

we're transitioning to doing all our task tracking in TFS 2010 and I'm wondering if there is a more lightweight way of working with it than through Visual Studio?
Just some sort of web-interface or a lightweight client, or even some powershell commandlets where I can create new tasks and add information to existing ones.
You could use a tool called Eylean Board. It integrates with TFS allowing to create and manage TFS tasks in a more user-friendly interface. Besides that Eylean offers additional features such as reports, time tracking and others.
There was a web interface for TFS2008. As far as I can tell it is included by default with the 2010 edition
I use Scrum Taskboard für Team Systems for the Daily Scrum, its easy and fast to change status of SPIs and create new SPIs. There is also a planning mode to add new BPIs.
A other comprehensive tool is Telerik Work Item Manager. It provides dash board, interactive task board and many ways to sort, filter and grouping items.

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