Starting a New Project

Users can create a new project from inside Visual Studio 2005, or can create it by using the standalone Team Explorer. Providing a simple process, the user will be prompted to configure the following project areas:

Methodology

MSF for Agile Development or MSF for CMMI Process Improvement (standard in VSTS, other methodologies can be made available)

Project portal title and description

Friendly name and description of the Windows SharePoint Services portal the team will use

Source version control folder and branching information

New folder, branched folder, or no source control

Selecting a Methodology

VSTS will ship with two methodologies: MSF for Agile Development (MSF Agile) and MSF for CMMI Process Improvement. Depending on the type of project and the characteristics of the team, either methodology might make sense. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. When creating a new team project, users be able to select one of these two methodologies. (See Figure 4-1.) If any other custom methodologies installed, they will also be available on the drop-down list here.

Figure 4-1

Selecting a new project's methodology

Visual Studio 2005 Team System's extensibility allows it to be modified and extended as the software development process evolves and improves over time. As the team evolves an matures, its methodology needs might also evolve and mature as well. VSTS is designed to support that. With an understanding of how VSTS integrates with a methodology, users can export an existing methodology-MSF for Agile Development, for example which can be edited to suit the development team's needs. The new files can be imported back into VSTS and named something more topical, such as Adventure Works Agile Development.

Configuring the Project Portal

VSTS relies on Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) for disseminating information to the extended team. The extended team can include team members who are geographically dispersed, and team members who might not play a direct role in VSTS.

Users who are filmier with WSS know it has many collaborative advantages, including the following ones:

Tight integration with Office 2003

Document check-in, check-out, and version control

Configurable security settings

Customizable web-part technology

VSTS sets up the entire Project Portal site automatically via the setup wizard. After the wizard has run and the site is created, users might want to customize it for their team. As with any WSS site, it can be easily customized in many ways. New document libraries can be created from Visual Studio 2005 or Team Explorer, and documents can be uploaded and managed.

Configuring Version Control Settings

It's likely that all VSTS projects will want to take advantage of the Team Foundation Server source-control capability. This capability is enabled by default, but within the setup users can choose any of the following options (as shown in Figure 4-2):

Create an empty version control folder

Create a new version control branch

Do not create a version control folder at this time

Figure 4-2

Branching an existing project

Selecting the source control option is the last step in creating a new project. The wizard will then begin creating the new project, which includes updating many database structures and copying many templates into the portal.