Visual Studio ALM Rangers Projects – summary of projects covered on this blog

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THIS BLOG POST IS RETIRED - Please refer to Get the latest Visual Studio ALM Rangers Solutions in future!

This post is simply a collection of the various posts that covers Visual Studio ALM Rangers projects. Last update posted on: 26 June 2010.

CLIPART_OF_12430_SM_thumb2  … these are released projects which have been covered on this blog, click URLs for more information.

Keep an eye on the right hand side of my navigator pane, where you will find the link “Ranger Projects – TOC of projects covered on this blog” which points to a post which I will keep up to date in terms of VSTS Rangers Projects covered.

On the verge of release projects

CLIPART_OF_13164_SM_thumb3 … more information will be posted on this blog as soon the projects are released.

  • None at this stage

New projects
Clipart Illustration of a White Business Person In A Tie, Carrying A Briefcase And Holding A Grey Check Mark, Symbolizing Approval And Solutions 

  • LAB Management Guide (TFSLM)
    The vision of this projects is to provide practical and scenario-based guidance, backed by custom VM Template automation for reference environments
  • Word Plug-in for TFS (TFSWP)
    The vision of this project is to support the communication between the non-technical users, who prefer Word as requirements elicitation tool, and the developer persona. Bidirectional link between Word and TFS work item tracking is a typical example but as usual, all details will be defined by the project team.
  • Build Customization Guide (VSBCG)
    This Ranger project has the primary goal of delivering scenario based and hands-on guidance for the customization and deployment of TFS Builds activities such as versioning, code signing, branching.
  • Coded UI Guide (VSCUG)
    With the addition of Coded UI Testing in Visual Studio 2010, there is a need for more in-depth guidance and scenario based hands-on labs. There are also some open issues and shortcomings that customers - and our own consultants - are facing which can turn into adoption blockers. It’s also important to define best practices which explain the effective and efficient use of these product features and how it can be scaled to large applications and projects. This guide should also act as a reference point for troubleshooting tips and answering questions like when it is appropriate to use coded UI tests versus other testing methods available in the Visual Studio 2010.
  • Branching Guidance 2010 v2 (TFSBG)
    We don’t anticipate any major rewriting of this successful guidance but some ideas to add best practice guidance for more complex scenarios:
    - Feature team development
    - Parallel development support for multiple versions
    - Approaches for Sharing Common Code (shared source, shared binaries, etc.)
    - How to improve and support development activities in other ALM areas like DB dev and architecture with branching techniques
    As the guidance matures, we also want to improve the guidance around process and branching strategy best practices.
    We also want to review all of the current guidance to ensure it is internally consistent and reflects the current thinking of the Rangers team.      
  • TFS Iteration Automation (TFSIA)
    This Ranger project has the primary goal of delivering a out-of-band solution which assists the Dave (TFS Admin) and Garry (Dev Lead) personas , ensuring iteration maintenance can be more productive and consistent.

Planned / Imminent projects

  • None at this stage

Cancelled Projects

  • Wall of Scrum (TFSSW)
    TFS 2010 has a compelling story on agile development but there is something missing. Customers are asking for a digital Scrum board as an alternative to the sticky notes on planning board. This solution is going to be integrated with TFS for enhanced team collaboration. As usual, we are going to focus on a few top features and at the same time deliver an extensible and customizable solution.