TFS Quick Tips: #1 Adding a screenshot to a work item

The Team Explorer in Visual Studio provides a quick (and not exactly obvious) method for attaching a screenshot or other content to a Work Item.

Screenshots

To quickly add a screenshot do the following:

1. Press PrtScrn or Alt+PrntScrn (Captures only the currently active window)

2. Open a Work Item (Bug, Task, etc) in team explorer

3. Click “File Attachments”

4. Press Ctrl+V (Paste)

A file called “Screenshot.png” is automatically attached to the work item.

Copied Text

To quickly add any copied text as an attachment to a work item do the following:

1. Select the text to copy (or press Ctrl+A to select all text in the active input area like a page or document)

2. Open a Work Item (Bug, Task, etc) in team explorer

3. Click “File Attachments”

4. Press Ctrl+V (Paste)

A file called “PastedText.txt” is automatically attached to the work item.

Copied Files

You can also quickly add a file from your desktop as an attachment using the same steps as above:

1. Select the files to copy

2. Open a Work Item (Bug, Task, etc) in team explorer

3. Click “File Attachments”

4. Press Ctrl+V (Paste)

Each of the files selected is now attached to the work item.

Bonus Tip – Copy and Paste Text from an Alert

If you get an alert in a page like so:

clip_image002

Simply press Ctrl+C (Copy) to copy the contents of the dialog into the clipboard. To paste the text you can just use Ctrl+V:

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Windows Internet Explorer

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You can copy this

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OK

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