Chapter 3: Team System Client Applications

Chapter 3

Team System Client Applications

Now that you have an understanding of and appreciation for the back end of Team System, I want to spend some time with the front-end products, tools, and designers that you'll be using. Some of these client applications work directly with Team Foundation Server and some can be used as standalone components. From a product perspective, the various Team System clients are the following:

• Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2005—The newest edition of Visual Studio, which your development team already uses

• Microsoft Office Excel® 2003—Popular spreadsheet software, which is part of Microsoft Office

• Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003—Powerful project management software

• Internet Explorer—A browser that allows all team members access to the team portal

• Command-line tools—Various tools that enable scheduled, batch interaction with Team System

I'll cover each of the tools and designers from a role-based point of view, both in this chapter as well as in the rest of the book. At the end of this chapter, you'll see—listed by edition of Visual Studio and Team System—which tools and designers will be available. Checking that list will enable you to focus on the tools and designers that are available within the edition you're using.