"tfpt online" with -diff... can it ignore the "Read Only" attribute? - tfs

I figured that adding the -diff option meant that it ignored the "Read Only" flag. What it actually does is get the union of 2 sets of files 1) those files that have their "Read Only" flag unset AND 2) those files that have been modified ("Read Only" flag can remain set)
$ tfpt online "D:\a\b\c.txt" -diff -preview
Getting your pending changes from the server...
Checking the status of D:\a\b\c.txt... Done
Walking D:\a\b\c.txt... Found 1
Showing potential changes only. No changes made.
Edits:
edit: D:\a\b\c.txt
Showing potential changes only. No changes made.
$ tf diff "D:\a\b\c.txt"
Comparing local to latest: D:\a\b\c.txt
$
What I'd really like is for tfpt online to ignore the "Read Only" flag and ONLY list files that have actually been modified. Is this possible?

Unfortunately, there's no way to simply exclude the list of files that are not read-only from being pended as edits. However, you can use the "undo unchanged" command of the power tool to undo those edits that were writable but did not have content differences:
tfpt online /diff [itemspec]
tfpt uu [itemspec]
tfpt uu will compare the hashes again to determine what's unchanged from the server, so it's obviously less efficient than if you were to ignore the read-only attribute the first time, but it should ultimately solve your problem.

Related

Is it possible to compare files using Plastic SCM Command Line 'cm diff' function?

I'd like to compare two files at particular changesets to see if they are identical or not.
Something like:
>> cm diff rev:Folder\MyFile.py#cs:5 rev:Folder\MyFile.py#cs:10
<< True
I'm getting an error (can't find revision of file I specify) and I think I might not be using diff as it's intended. I've worked around my confusion by using getfile on the particular file and changesets I'm comparing and using a python library file compare.
Thanks.
The Plastic SCM default diff tool will open a GUI showing you the file differences.
But you can manually configure a different one (eg. diff.exe) manually editing the "/home/user/.plastic/client.conf" or using the Plastic SCM GUI:
<DiffToolData>
<FileType>enTextFile</FileType>
<FileExtensions>*</FileExtensions>
<Tools>
<string>diff.exe #sourcefile #destinationfile</string>
</Tools>
</DiffToolData>
This way, you can run diffs through the command line and based on the output, determine if the files are identical or not.
You can use cm patch command
reference : https://blog.plasticscm.com/2018/11/unified-diff-of-branch.html

How to start vNext TFS 2015 build revision at a specific number

I am using the vNext build system of TFS 2015.
I currently have the my builds versioning in the traditional format. Major.Minor-rev.RevisionNumber. So, if I have a build for Major 1, Minor 12, the build version would look like 1.12-rev.1 when I start. I would like to know if it is possible to have the build version start at a number other than one, say 55. Such that the build version would look like 1.12-rev.55, and then increment by one as usual after that.
Actually, it is possible to effect this in a vNext build without hacking the database.
There are 2 steps.
First, you will need to implement a powershell build step (as the first step of the build) with the following inline script:
#Set the BuildNumberOffset. (Change this to the difference between the TFS build number,
#and the number that your build needs.)
$BuildNumberOffset = 543
#Don't change
$BuildNumberParts = $($env:BUILD_BUILDNUMBER) -split '\.'
$TFSRevision = [int]$BuildNumberParts[$BuildNumberParts.Length-1]
$BuildNumberParts[$BuildNumberParts.Length-1] = ($TFSRevision + $BuildNumberOffset).ToString()
$BuildNumber = [string]::Join(".", $BuildNumberParts)
Write-Host "##vso[build.updatebuildnumber]$BuildNumber"
Second, on the Label format field of the repository tab set the label format to "$(Build.BuildNumber)" instead of "$(Build.DefinitionName)$(rev:.r)". This is important so that your label will be the same as your updated build number.
There is a way to do this. It isn't pretty, but it works.
Assuming you have a build number format of something like $(Major).$(Minor)-rev$(rev:.r)
To do this queue up a build which will get the number 1.12-rev.1. Then go to the TFS database and into a table called tbl_Build. Find that last build you did and change the value in the BuildNumberRevision column to 54.
The next build that fires off will now be 1.12-rev.55
Unfortunately, it's impossible.
Every build definition has a build number format field where you can use some macros to dictate what the resulting build number should look like. In this format we are using $(Rev:.rr) Its start by one.
What is $(Rev:.rr)?
To ensure that every completed build has a unique name. When a build
is completed, if nothing else in the build number has changed, the Rev
integer value is incremented by one.
Source:MSDN
Moreover, if you want to generating a custom build number without increment.
Here is a blog with detailed procedures:Generate custom build numbers in TFS Build vNext
Couldn't we just manually set this in the format for one build i.e:
$(Major).$(Minor)-rev$(rev:.54)
and then afterwards revert back to:
$(Major).$(Minor)-rev$(rev:.r)
Not tried it, but if it works it'll save hacking around in the database.
You can do this easily, but only if you are using a Git repository in conjunction with a tool called GitVersion
It is a wonderful tool that I always use with my git repos. For your use-case: When you have version 1.2.3 and you want to jump to version 1.2.55, you just add a git tag 'v1.2.55' and it will start the versioning from there. GitVersion is a lot more complicated and does a lot more, but that is one of the features. You don't have to mess with special PowerShell scripts or anything, it instead reads your git repo history and git tags overrides the calculated versioning. There is already a TFS/VSTS/Azure Devops extension called GitVersion that works great from the same developer.
The Answer of #Steve Sims works still with TFS 2017 vNext. Thanks a lot!
I had only to do the first step "to add the script as an inline powershell script in my build." Thanks to #PainElemental
With this "Build number format" in the Options-Tab it works:
$(BuildDefinitionName)_1.2.0$(rev:.r)
I didn't label my sources with the build, so I don't checked:
Second, on the Label format field of the repository tab set the label
format to "$(Build.BuildNumber)" instead of
"$(Build.DefinitionName)$(rev:.r)". This is important so that your
label will be the same as your updated build number.
I think, you can edit the Label Format on the "Advanced" GetSources Options. (usually hidden).
This was also very painful for us, migrating from a existing CI system with it's own build numbering, we needed build numbers to increment from a specific value. Hacking databases wasn't allowed in the organisation, offsets seemed a cludge.
In the end, we used an AutoIt script to start and stop builds and delete the build result using the WebUI and left it running. Not nice, but it did the job.
Needs tweaking for screen resolutions and such, timings also perhaps. Use AutoIt Window Info to find the button locations, make sure browser is fullscreen (not windowed) Run it for a few cycles to ensure it robust before setting the loop larger.
#include <AutoItConstants.au3>
;Increment TFS build count (Chrome browser buttons locations). Start from build result page.
For $i = 1 To 15 Step 1
ConsoleWrite ( "Loop " & $i & " of 5" & #CRLF )
Sleep(200)
MouseClick($MOUSE_CLICK_PRIMARY, 1800, 200, 2)
Sleep(500)
MouseClick($MOUSE_CLICK_PRIMARY, 1150, 881, 2)
Sleep(2000)
MouseClick($MOUSE_CLICK_PRIMARY, 1800, 200, 2)
Sleep(500)
MouseClick($MOUSE_CLICK_PRIMARY, 1055, 165, 2)
Sleep(10000)
Next
TFS/Devops is a really immature CI system, and it's not a patch on what we were running. Unfortunately corporate policy said we move to TFS, as nobody ever got fired for buying Microsoft products (but plenty of people should have got fired for buying them/forcing them where they don't belong).

TF checkin ignore "no files to check in" error

Background: I am writing a batch files to create and check in some contract files (language agnostic representations of API files) whenever we check into an API project. I am checking in the files with the following command:
tf checkin /flags myContractFiles
Frequently the contract files do not change so I often get this error:
There are no remaining changes to check in.
As a result the build fails.
Question: Is there a way to avoid this particular error?
What I have tried: I am aware of the /force flag for tf checkin (as suggested here), but would rather not use it because I would prefer to only check in when there actually is a change (I do not want to pollute the branch history with changesets with no changes). I have also seen the tf diff and tf folderdiff commands, but it looks like they output their result to the command line, and I am unable to do something like this:
if tf folderdiff ... (
tf checkin ...
)
You will either have to parse the folderdiff result to do what you want or create a custom activity to detect the changes through the API.

How to remove hours from Scrum 2.0 template

We are currently using Scrum 2.0 process template from microsoft in new TFS 2012, however we don't use hours as task estimates, we simply count tasks. This is easily archieved by setting each task value as 1 as default and set that field read only in task property form.
However original template uses hours as unit with tasks, so there are are mark "h" all around template. Is there way to get rid of this hour mark since it causes constant confusion? Especially in management.
You can configure how the remaining work is displayed, by modifying the format attribute in the following row in the commonconfiguration.xml file:
<TypeField refname="Microsoft.VSTS.Scheduling.RemainingWork" type="RemainingWork" format="{0} h" />
By default this attribute is "{0} h", so you can simply set it to "{0}" to fit your needs.
You can download the commonconfiguration.xml file from the server, using the witadmin command:
witadmin exportcommonprocessconfig /collection:http:<your collection> /p:<your project> /f:<the file name>
After editing the file you must import it back into TFS using witadmin command:
witadmin importcommonprocessconfig ...the same parameters as above
Note: with the RC it looks like you must leave a space after the placeholder, like "{0} ", otherwise you will get a validation error, when importing the file. I haven't tried yet with the RTM to see if this has been fixed.
As far as I can tell, all of those h's are hardcoded straight into web access. So the only way to remove them would be to find them (I used Chrome's dev tools), isolate them, and then go into the Web Access pages located on your TFS Server (application tier) and manually remove them. This is because they aren't actually part of any template, so there isn't a way to remove them all at once. The path to the files will be something like
c:\Program Files\Microsoft Team Foundation Server 11.0\Application Tier\Web Services
Good luck, I've had a heck of a time trying to alter them.
You can use TFPT or the WITADMIN command line tool to remove the remaining effort field.
I would suggest however not to remove it, but rather to remove it from the form itself (so that it just doesn't show), and add a rule so that it defaults to 1 and is read-only. Furthermore, in the workflow, add a rule that changes the value to 0 when you reach done.
Since there's no actual meaning to the number itself, the units can be actual hours, ideal hours, story points or whatever you want them to mean. By making each task 1 or 0 (when done), you can make use of TFS' built in tools such as the burndown reports to track your progress. Each task done will reduce the remaining work, and you will be able to keep track of velocity by summing up the effort completed in each iteration (which is the same as counting).

TFS shortcut to compare a modified file with the latest version

Right now I have to pull up Pending Changes window, right-click on the file and select Compare->With Latest Version... Is there a faster way to look at my modifications?
Keyboard Shortcut for doing TFS Compare
In the Team Explorer window under Pending Changes:
shift + enter on file
will compare the files
shift + double click on file
will compare file in background
Create visual studio mapping for the commands:
Set the shortcut for compare folder under Source Control
Explorer, you should set the shortcut keys for File.TfsFolderDiff
command.
Set the shortcut for compare specific file under
Source Control Explorer, you should set the shortcut keys for
File.TfsCompare command
Note: To set the keyboard shortcuts, open "Tools > Options". In the dialog that opens, go to "Keyboard". Example:
Note: The folder compare shortcut is only valid from the "Source Control Explorer". It is the same as right clicking in the "Source Control Explorer" and selecting "Compare...".
References:
Keyboard shortcut for File Compare?
Comparison keyboard shortcuts for Pending Changes in TFS by Alex Meyer-Gleaves.
How to Double Click to Diff Pending Changes in TFS by Richard Banks
TFS Shortcut to do a diff on all modified files with latest version
You can switch the double-click behaviour in the pending changes window to do a compare with latest by changing a registry setting:
Path: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\<ver>\
TeamFoundation\SourceControl\Behavior
Value: DoubleClickOnChange (DWORD)
0 == view as the primary command (default)
1 == compare as primary command
You can find more information here:
How to Double Click to Diff Pending Changes in TFS.
A comment on that post also shows the entry to set if you want to use a shortcut key to do the comparison instead.
You can add hotkey bindings for TFS context menu commands, which may be an approach that will work for what you need.
Go to Tools > Options > Keyboard. In the 'filter' field, type 'TFS' and it'll show a list of all TFS commands that you can bind hotkeys to. The Source Control comparison ones can be shortlisted with "CompareWith". I've bound hotkeys in this way to the pending changes window's context menu, which is a great timesaver versus working your way down that tortuous context menu, but there may be other options that suit your needs better.
Another alternative could be to set up an alias in Command Window and use it. To bring up the compare window:
Open Command Window (ctrl + alt + A)
Set alias for File.TfsCompare
alias diff File.TfsCompare
Next time you need to do the compare, type 'diff' and hit enter in the command window. 'diff' is an alias name, could be set to whatever of your choice. If you want to delete alias, use
alias aliasName /d

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