What “main” features are coming to us with Orcas?
We are continuously being asked what Orcas has in store for the solution teams, the architect, the developer and the tester.
Thanks to Brian Harry we have managed to gather some of the interesting nuggets of Orcas relevant to our current environments, which are summarised herein:
|
!!! |
Area |
Feature |
Operations |
SDLC |
Architect |
Developer |
Tester |
|
X |
TFS |
· Support for Web Application Projects |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
X |
|
· Support for Share Point 2007 |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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· Support for a separate Share Point Farm |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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· Support for SQL Named Instances |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
· Synchronisation for Large Groups (30,000 or more) |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
· Support for an installation of TFS on domain controller |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
· Support for non-default ports & web sites |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
· Support for client certificates |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
· Simplified installation and upgrade from TFS 2005 |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
· Multi-threaded builds |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
|
X |
|
· Continuous integration |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· Improved management of multiple build servers |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
|
X |
|
· Management of builds (stop, delete) |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· Improved extensibility of build targets |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
|
X |
|
· Migration toolkit |
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
· Annotation (see TFS Annotate Power Tool) |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· Folder Diff (see TFS Tree Power Tool) |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· Permanent deletion of version control files/folders |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
· Ability to check out the latest version of files |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· Performance improvements in TFVC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
C# |
· Mapping format, using DLinq t access relational data as objects. |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
X |
|
· XLinq (LINQ to XML) … query extensions specific o XML. |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
X |
C++ |
· STL/CLR Library |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
|
|
· Large set of bug fixes in terms of Friend Templates. |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
|
|
· .NET Framework Multi Targeting (.NET 2, .NET 3 and .NET 3.5) |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
|
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· Versioning of Visual C++ Libraries, to distinguish Orcas libraries from VS2005. |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
X |
Setup |
· Uninstall Wizard, to uninstall prerequisites and optional. |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
DTP |
· Command Bar Improvements, toning down to create an aesthetic look |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· MSO File dialog removal and usage of system-provided dialogs instead. |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· IDE Navigator (Ctrl-Tab support) |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
X |
|
· MSBuild Multi-Targeting (.NET2, .NET3 and .NET 3.5) |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· Tool Window Docking Targets |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· Windows Framework Support in Object Browser and Find Symbol |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· Menu improvements (provide an optimally consistent menu appearance) |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
· Splash screen improvements |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
X |
|
· Pseudo Multi-Targeting, supporting targeting .NET 2.0, .NET 3.0 and .NET 3.5 |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
X |
|
· Visual Studio Proxy Service, for those behind a firewall & proxy server. |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
X |
.NET3 |
· IDE Integration of Windows Communication Foundation |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
X |
|
· IDE Integration of Windows Workflow |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
X |
|
· IDE Integration of Windows Presentation Foundation |
|
|
|
|
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For those, like I, that hate TLAs … herewith a glossary:
· !!! Feature that has been numerously asked for … take note!
· DTP Developer Tools Platform
· STL Standard Template Library
· TLA Three Lettered Acronym
· TFS Team Foundation Server
· SDLC Software Development Life Cycle
· TFVC Team Foundation Version Control
Refer to Brian’s roadmap blog, see below, for features that will make their way to our project battlefields via service packs and power tools:
Service Packs / Hotfixes
· SP1 – Released, for both VSTS and TFS. If you have not upgraded your environment, get more information and consider an upgrade as soon as possible.
· SP2 –Mentioned for mid 2007, if needed.
TFS Power Tools (Many of these features are released)
· Vista Side bar widget
· Operations tools, for server monitoring, capacity planning, performance tuning and problem diagnosis.
· Process Template Editor for authoring work item types and associated Process Template components.
· Check-in policy pack to address requested needs.
· MSSCCI Provider Improvements adding support for TOAD (Tools for Oracle Application Development) and branched projects.
· Report pack.
· Work item templates.
For a detailed TFS roadmap refer to http://blogs.msdn.com/bharry/archive/2006/11/30/team-foundation-server-roadmap.aspx, for a high-level Orcas roadmap to http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/aa700830.aspx and for some Orcas specifications to http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/aa948851.aspx.
Hope the above answers a few of the queries we have received to date and will put some context to Orcas. “When will it ship?” you ask … watch this space.