Organization of This Book

Organization of This Book

Working with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team System is divided into parts and chapters. Because there's so much information to cover, I've sliced the book into four parts, each containing a list of chapters and an opening paragraph or two about those chapters. Naturally, I recommend reading the book from cover to cover, but I realize that we're all busy professionals. A more strategic approach might be to read the first three chapters in Part I to get an idea of what Team System is and what front-end and back-end software and services make it work. Then read the chapters in Part II that apply directly to you. Parts 3 and 4 provide deeper coverage and discussion of real-world use of Team System. Time permitting, you can then read any chapters that you might have skipped.

Here is a brief summary of what each part of the book contains:

• Part I, “Introducing Team System,” provides an overview of the software—including the back-end Team Foundation Server and the various client applications—that you and your team will use to interact with Team System.

• Part II, “Team System for the Entire Team,” provides a detailed look at Team System, covering the relevant tools and tasks for each team member by their role.

• Part III, “Methodologies and Extensibility,” includes a detailed look at Microsoft Solutions Framework 4.0 and how it integrates with Team System, an overview of the extensibility found within Team System, and guidelines for wrapping up a software development cycle or iteration.

• Part IV, “Appendixes,” includes a reference section, for both infrastructure and application architects, on Microsoft Distributed System Designers. You'll also find a fun storyboard-like scenario where a fictitious software development team uses Team System throughout a project iteration.