Coming soon to TFS Power Tool near you - Codename TFS Bug Submission Portal

Hakan Eskici - Spec available for "Codename TFS Bug Submission Portal"

"We've published the spec for the "Codename TFS bug submission portal" power tool on Rosario Specs website (1).

Note (1): Although it appears on Rosario specs website, this is a power tool for TFS 2008 (Orcas).

Here's some background:

Team Foundation Server 2008 Standard Edition allows using some of the work item tracking features even without a Client Access License (CAL).

“You do not need a CAL to access work item tracking functionality to create new work items, or view and update work items you opened”

Even thought the EULA enables these scenarios, there's no out-of-box UI that will help customers to make sure they're in compliance with the license terms. ...

...

To learn more about the details, please take a look at the spec. Your feedback is very important for us, so please make sure you express your thoughts on the spec discussion forum, we're looking forward to hearing from you!"

Taking a quick look at the spec, it looks pretty interesting. I need to take another look with my "I'm a user" glasses on...

Not sure how I feel about the Can Not Do list (reproduced in part below)

• ...
• list, view, edit, or run work item queries
• ...
• access documents
• access reports
• ...

The documents and reports restriction seems a little much? At least the reports? Which by their nature are read-only. Yes realize, it works around the "can see work items from other people" limit, but still, like we're not already making the reports available? Come on... they are reports...

Still the UI looks nice and even with the restrictions I'll likely deploy this when it comes out... (to help keep my inbox under control and to empower my users to be able to easier track the bugs they submit, etc)

 

Related Past Post XRef:
Team Foundation Server Defect Tracking License Change - Create new Work Items for "free" now, no CAL needed...