TFS build `Summary Information` text syntax format - visual-studio-2012

After a build definition is queued and completes, a build summary report/information page is displayed as in the below screen-shot.
I see that there are links and collapsible text in the report.
A google search can find me the syntax for the link as [link display text](the URL of the link)
Where can I find the documentation that lists all the syntax for writing messages to the TFS build summary page, e.g. the collapsible text?

There is no way how to specify other formatting than links:
As explained, messages can only be text based, this is a limitation of the new activity and model. If you need to add a custom section with more rich content (text, images, graphics…) you will have to use the same method as in the previous version and develop a Visual Studio add-in.
Source:
TFS 2012: Add a custom section in a build summary
TFS11 RC – Simple Build Summary Customization

Related

Sharepoint Infopath form - How to tell if custom code eixsts

I'm working with a Sharepoint project that was migrated from 2007 to 2010. There is not history on who originally created the project or how they did this. So, if the original developer used a Visual Studio project to add custom code to the form, that VS project does not exist.
Is there any way to tell if an existing form has custom code written for it? If I want to add my own custom code, the only way I can do this is go into the form properties and select "remove existing code". Then I can create a new project and add code.
Is it the case that if I cannot find the original VS project, that this is my only choice...to remove any existing code?
Yes, if you can't find the original project, then you're out of luck - you have to remove the code and rewrite as necessary.
http://www.bizsupportonline.net/blog/2013/recover-make-changes-infopath-forms-sharepoint.htm
(Paragraph at the bottom of the article, just before "3 ways you can find out whether code was written for a form template")

Which Visual Studio project types support Shift+Alt+D to open the Data Sources window?

In Visual Studio 2012, it appears that only maybe a third of the 20 or so C# project types support using Shift+Alt+D to open the "Data Sources" window (and none that I've found ever display the mythical "Data" menu bar option).
Is there any sort of guide as to which project types will allow you to work with data sources?
Also, is there any way to "adjust" the features of a project after it's been created?
Update: See my answer below for how to add the Data Sources function to an existing project.
I believe you are looking for this page:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/yft2c9ad.aspx
To quote msdn: "You can add a data source to a project only if it supports creating and working with data sources. For example, you can't open the Data Sources window in a project for a Windows Store app."
Basically, if using a database seems logical in your application, you can probably use one.
To answer your question about the "mythical 'Data' menu bar option", here's how you access it:
You just have to select "View", then "Other Windows", and finally "Data Sources"
And to answer your final question about, "Also, is there any way to 'adjust' the features of a project after it's been created?"
Yes, yes there is. If you mean as a compiled executable, one could simply decompile the project or use an ILcode editor. If you mean as a solution in visual studios, using the solution explorer you can access "My Project" and simply double click that to get a nice little gui for adjusting your project.
EDIT:
For an overload of information about data in visual studios, you can visit: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/wzabh8c4.aspx
For more information about just the data source window, you can visit:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/6ckyxa83.aspx
Aha! There is a way to add data access to a project that lacks it, per: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb907587.aspx. To quote:
To create a class from a database table
If you are working with a Web site project, and the project does not already have an App_Code folder, in Solution Explorer, right-click the project, click Add ASP.NET Folder, and then click App_Code.
In Solution Explorer, right-click the App_Code folder (for a Web site project) or the project (for a Web application project) and then click Add New Item.
Under Installed templates, select Linq to SQL Classes template, type a name for the .dbml file, and then click Add.
-- The Object Relational Designer window is displayed. [Note that this is the window that Shift-Alt-D displays]
In Server Explorer, drag the database tables or other objects (such as views) that you want to use with LINQ to SQL into the Object Relational Designer window.
-- The tables and their columns are represented as a entities in the designer window.
Save the .dbml file.
This creates .designer.cs or .designer.vb file that is located under the .dbml file. The file contains a class that represents the database and a class that represents the table. The parameterless constructor for the database class reads the connection string from the Web.config file.
(Note that, after performing this procedure you may get a message "The type or namespace name 'Linq' does not exist in the namespace 'System.Data'". The solution to this problem is found here.)

Flexible customization - Generating word document using C#

Problem - Generate a word document from information retrieved from database.
My solution - Create a word document template add fields/tags in places where values need to be inserted. The template will require tables and charts as well. Using document reflector that comes with open office xml sdk reflect on the document template and extract the w:document section and port it to C#. The rest of the logic revolves simply around finding the fields/tags, replacing them, etc. Very simple approach but not very flexible!
Challenge - I want the user to have the ability to customize the template or the generated document output. But this will not be possible if I embed the template logic in code.
Any other possibilities - I looked around at Templating using T4 and RazorEngine but could not find any concrete examples of how to create word documents using these two technologies.
Now what is the best approach?
I would really appreciate your inputs on what is the best and most flexible way to generate word documents using C#.
I'm actually working a project where the business users are designing word template with mail merge fields and we are populating the values using a 3rd party software package Aspose Words. http://www.aspose.com/categories/.net-components/aspose.words-for-.net/default.aspx
The software includes a library for merging data from datatables into the mail merge fields in the word document.
I also wrote a customized word task pane add in that retrieves data views from the database and lists the fields in a drag/drop interface that mimics a crystal or sql report writing interface.
Probably would of been easier to just use crystal or sql reporting though...
It's certainly possible to generate the contents of an Office doc using T4 or Razor and then package it up. The TestScribe powertool for Visual Studio Test Manager does just that with T4. There is a thread by Sally Cavanagh in the Q&A on this page http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/e79e4a0f-f670-47c2-9b8a-3b6f664bf4ae that suggests a way to look at the T4 templates that it uses, which might get you jump-started.
Here is sample to play word document template with C#
You could use a content control databinding approach.
XML Mapping Task Pane for Word 2007/2010 is an authoring tool.
To create an instance document, you just attach your XML data file.
If the resulting documents will be opened in Word, that is all that is required: Word will bind the data itself. If your consuming application is not Word, you might want to resolve the bindings yourself (eg via Open XML SDK).
Content control databinding isn't intended to support repeats and conditionals. For a way to do that, look at my OpenDoPE convention
Take a look at Templater. Disclamer: I'm the author.
Check out JODReports or Docmosis. They are Java based but some of the templating features and output options might be ideal. You can call the command line interfaces unless they also have something better to reach from C#.

How do I create a custom list definition based on a Discussion Board?

I've been trying to create a list definition based on the SharePoint Discussion Board in SharePoint 2010, but obviously not successful. I should note that I want to put this list definition in a Visual Studio 2010 SharePoint project.
I've tried to save an existing list as a template, but didn't find any way to import that into the Visual Studio project.
I've tried to just create a list definition in Visual Studio using the new wizards/designers for SharePoint 2010, but it doesn't allow me to base my list on a Discussion Board.
I've also tried to create a custom Content Type based on a Discussion Board and then create a list definition from that Content Type, but the end result when I deploy it is a list that is a Custom List and not a Discussion Board.
Any help is appreciated.
OK. It appears that the new wizards/designers don't support this in 2010 for Discussion Boards. I've done this by doing the following:
Created a content type based on the
Discussion Board
Created a list definition based on
this content type
I then had to change some of the
values generated for the list
definition (Elements.xml) so that it
is treated as a Discussion Board
instead of a Custom List
Type="108"
BaseType="0"
...
Image="/_layouts/images/itdisc.png"/>
I then changed the schema.xml so
that it matched the OOB values for
the FieldRef's, Views, Forms, and
also had to add the Message content
type
I'm still working on my customizations...

Custom SharePoint List View - can I put it in a feature (WSP)?

Here's my situation:
I'm working in SharePoint 2007 Enterprise, I have a feature that creates a list for me when I deploy and activate it. My usual workflow thus far has been to deploy the solution, activate it, then open up SharePoint Designer to customize the list.
My customizations are typically pretty complex, but I'll keep things simple. In this case, let's just say that I edit AllItems.aspx, convert the data view to an XSLT data view, then I add one column with static text.
I've used a few different tools (SPSource, VSeWSS, SharePoint Manager, OCDExportList, etc) to extract my custom schema.xml and all the default views, but I have yet to have any luck figuring out where the the code for AllItems.aspx is now that it's been customized.
When I extract (using any of the tools above) AllItems.aspx is no different than the default. The <View> element in schema.xml is reduced to one line, for example:
<View DefaultView="TRUE"
MobileView="TRUE"
MobileDefaultView="TRUE"
Type="HTML"
FPModified="TRUE"
DisplayName="All Documents"
Url="Forms/AllItems.aspx"
Level="1"
ContentTypeID="0x" />
I'm really stuck here... I've got no clue what to do. Is it even possible? It would save me a great amount of time (and documentation) if I could include my customizations in my feature.
If there's any other info I'm missing that would help, let me know... thanks!
Latest findings:
I've found out a bit more in the past couple hours. If I save the list as a List Template, then save the .stp file locally as a .cab file I can extract its contents. One of the files is manifest.xml which contains the schema.xml as well as a few other sections.
One of those sections is a <webparts> section that has a <webpart> for each view. Each of those <webpart> elements contains a really long string of characters... no clue what those characters actually represent.
The important thing is that I think any custom views have to actually be Web Parts if deployed as part of a solution... but I'm not positive.
I have faced a similar issue a while ago. I had to create a very customized view and I had to give up the ListFormWebPart completely, and have created my own webpart to render the data.
Generally, when you customize the aspx file in SPDesigner, all your changes will be in the aspx file itself. Open it in SPDesigner and you will see there all the changes you have made. After you have converted to the XSL Data View, the standard ListFormWebPart is replaced by a DataFormWebPart, which doesn't care about the <View> tags specified in the schema.xml; Look in the aspx file itself for the ListFormWebPart.
Why not do all the customizations you want on a list, save the list as a template (it will include the associated AllItems.aspx) and then use that template in your feature to create your list? You could add the extracolumn from code (if it's dynamic and cannot be included in the template), and so on.
Yes you can. Get the Sharepoint manager tool from Codeplex
http://spm.codeplex.com/
Install it on a machine in your farm, it will allow you to browse the farm via a tree view that shows all objects.
Make the list via the Sharepoint GUI, then browse to it w/ SPM.
SPM will allow you to extract the MOSS/WSS created xml that describes the list view (it shows up in the left hand property grid), which you can then plop into your manifest.xml
I have a similar issue and have been doing a lot of research into this. The dataview web part to me is one of the most powerful components in Sharepoint. Unfortunately I have to provide my solution as a .wsp package and that means that I can not just make the site and use Designer on that site. I have taken a 2 step approach in that I used designer to create my dataview and I also edited the code of that dataview to replace the ListID and Guids to ListName and the actual list name. This allows it to be exported and used in any page/site as long as the list name is the same. I am creating a webpart page document library also in my solution and I believe I can add the pages that have the webparts to this library using the onet.xml file. I will try to get the results of that test in as soon as I can do it.

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