Team Foundation Server Power Tool, Process Template Editor Tip - If you open a *.WIT file and it appears as a normal XML file, instead of in a Designer... - Greg's Cool [Insert Clever Name] of the Day

First the tips, then the stories...

A) How do I start up the Process Template thing?

If you have have installed The TFS Power Tool and want to edit a Process Template or Work Item, go to the Team menu in the VS2005 IDE, and there should be a "Process Editor" menu.

If the Team menu is not visible, click on the "Team Explorer" window, connect to your TFS server. Once connected, the Team menu should be visible.

Story: By default, I have my IDE set to not automatically connect to my TFS servers on start-up. So since I wasn't connected, I was seeing the Team menu...

B) There's no Process Template in my Team menu?

The DSL Tools (or the correct RTM/1.0 version) may not be installed. Confirm that you have the "Microsoft DSL Tools Redistributable" (that's how it's listed in my Add/Remove Programs) installed. It that is not installed, then the TFS Power Tool will not install the Process Editor.

Story: I had a CTP version of the DSL Tools Redist installed and ran into this. I uninstalled the TFS Power Tool, Uninstalled the DSL CTP, installed the RTM/1.0 DSL Redist, installed the TFS Power Toy and now I had the "Process Editor" menu.

C) When I open a Work Item (QIT), via either "Open WIT from Server", "Open WIT from File" or via a downloaded Process Template, there's a no cool designer (as shown below), but instead just a plain, normal XML editor.

Check in your Add/Remove Programs and see if you have "WorkItemTypeDesigner" installed. If so try uninstalling it and reinstalling the DSL Redist and Repairing the TFS Power Tool.

Story: This post from Jason D. Camp (Re: Issue in Process Template tool ) is what finally got me going "... I uninstalled the WorkItemTypeDesigner tool and then reinstalled the TFS power tool and DSL redist. All is now well. ..."

I also had WorkItemTypeDesigner installed... So I uninstalled that, re-installed the DSL Redist and Repaired the TFS Power Tool and I was gold (i.e. I now had a Process Template menu in my Team menu)

Full Back Story:

Last night I finally got the "want to" to edit one of my TFS Work Item Templates (CMMI - Bug WIT). I wanted to add a simple field where I could enter what "build" I wanted to include a given WIT in. Just a simple grouping method to indicate that I planned on addressing this WIT in the Next build, or the Next+ build, Next++, blank/not assigned, etc.

Just a simple, easy to enter and report on field where I could enter some build guidance. I felt this was different than the already existing "Resolved in Build" field (it's a tense thing... future versus past tense). I wanted something a little like the "Release" field on CodePlex Work Items...

This was the first time I edited a Work Item, but had done a little research about the WIT Import/Export process (TFS - Work Item's and Customization).

I did not relish the thought of hand editing the XML, so I first gave the new TFS Power Tool Work Item Template Editor a try.

Once I had it all working, I was pleasantly surprised at the power of the Work Item Template Editor. This is a polished Designer (still v1, but hey, about 1 million times easier than editing the XML by hand).

I was able to grab a WIT directly from the server, add the field, update the layout, save it and I was done.

And after a bit of delay (I'm still not sure if the delay was on the TFS side or "Greg is doing some stupid" side) the new field showed up in every place where I could view the work item (in the Team Explorer, in TeamLook, in the VSTS Web Access, etc... It was pretty cool to see how all these different products, from different companies, picked up this new field...).

Very cool and in the end, pretty darn easy. (At least for a developer... I think someone with little or no development or VS2005 experience would have a something of learning curve... But then again, I doubt they are the intended users for this Power Tool... ;)

All in all, if you're editing a TFS Template, be it Work Item, or Process, you owe it to yourself to check out the TFS PowerTool.

Additional resources that helped:
MSDN Webcast: Using Visual Studio Team System Process Editor (Level 200)