TFS Integration Platform – WorkFlowTypeEnum Configuration element is being deprecated
Notification
The next release of the TFS Integration Platform will contain a configuration file change, whereby the WorkFlowTypeEnum is deprecated and replaced with the complex type WorkflowType with three attributes.
Why this configuration breaking change you may (or most likely will) ask? It creates a much more intuitive configuration and allows for future extensibility of the configuration, without creating more frustrating code/config breaks again.
Impact
Configurations that are cached in the database are not impacted, however, configuration files based on the old WorkFlowTypeEnum will fail to load with the latest build of the TFS Integration Platform tools. This means that the previous versions of TFS Integration Platform – Getting Started Basic, TFS Integration Platform – Getting Started Advanced and TFS Integration Platform – Custom Adapter POC walkthroughs will fail if used together with the latest build of the tools.
If you are using old configuration files with the deprecated WorkFlowTypeEnum, then you will enter the world of defaults, which may or may not be suitable for you. As part of the planning, you need to consult the TfsMigrationConfigurationXMLSchema.xsd schema file and verify the defaults used for your build. As shown, the current defaults are ContinuousManual frequency, Unidirectional flow and unidirectional SyncContext flow. The latter will likely be changed to Disabled in the next build.
We are currently investigating whether we cannot display a more meaningful error and clearly highlight any known old configuration spec.
Description
The WorkFlowTypeEnum has been replaced with the complex type WorkflowType with the following three attributes:
| Attribute | Description | Options |
| Frequency | Defines the frequency of the migration workflow | OneTime, ContinuousManual, ContinuousAutomatic |
| DirectionOfFlow | Defines the direction and flow of the migration | Unidirectional, Bidirectional |
| SyncContext | Defines whether synchronization context, such as Project-level User Groups, Global List, Work Item Type Definition, Area Path and Iteration Path, is to be included as part of the workflow. | Disabled, Unidirectional, Bidirectional |
Example
In VSTS Rangers Project - TFS Migration Tools: Configuration Demystified we showed an example of a configuration file. Based on the above mentioned changes the illustration is changed as follows, where (9) is showing the new WorkFlowType.
