Our team of developers have started to use TFS version 16, and we're creating new Work Items (Bugs) and assigning them to appropriate parties. This is good, but it could be better. We've noticed the email is lacking some pretty useful stuff:
Screenshot of current email alert
It'd be great to add some more detail in the email, such as the severity of the bug, as to make sure whoever gets the email takes a look at it right away if needed. Are there any options in TFS to customize the Work Item alert email?
No, its not possible to customize email alerts format in TFS/VSTS for now.
You could try to create your own extension or use some 3rd-party extension to handle this situation. Such as this TfsNotificationRelay include below features:
Notify multiple targets
Rule-based event filtering
Regex filtering on collection, project, repository, branch etc.
Configurable notification format
Notification links back to event in TFS web
Extensible to support other targets
I'm working with MS Word and am trying to create a list of customized template(s).
i.e. Open Word (2013 / 2016), in the 'New' menu you'll see a list of "Featured" templates, I would like to add my own list of templates.
Through research (Handy Blog), I've learnt that you can create a new template and add it to the "Personal" templates. My problem is, I'd like it to be my own name - instead of Personal, I'd like to have my own heading, say MyCustomTemplates.
From some further reading, I've read a few mixed opinions from this and some even saying that it is impossible, as these 'headings' are hard-coded (Office Forum)
Graphical explanation:
Doing this manually will be my first step, from there - I'll be adding these templates programmatically.
To help anyone that comes across this - below are my findings (including some really useful forums and feedback) and the solution I am most likely going to go with;
After tons of research I have noted and got confirmation that, to change the name of either of the Word headings (FEATURED, PERSONAL etc.) is not possible - Office have hard coded these - see this thread.
You do have some options though:
Using the PERSONAL tab within Word, you could create your own
templates for use (the name would however, remain "PERSONAL") > This
URL will take you through the process, step by step.
If you prefer using a "Support Office URL" - here it is.
As suggested by Doug Robbins, in this thread - you could "Add the New Document or Template command to the Quick Access Toolbar and create a folder under:
C:\Users[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates". This is not ideal for my implementation.
Create an Addin Template using this URL
Use the Ribbon XML, (this is most likely going to be my route): Create a Ribbon XML for the Word application, the user must select this option (click on your ribbon item), then from a folder that you specify, let the user select a template (that you've added) for them to work with. Load the template to the current word document.
I hope this helps.
I'm developing a system in which I need to select, from a long list os customers, some to which an specific (batch) action will be executed. For example, I want to select "John", "Peter" and "Steve" and click the "delete" button. No more than 5 customers will be selected.
The problem is that, since there're more than 500 customers, listing all isn't a good option. So far I did an AJAX search that shows just the customers that meet the criteria, but which multiselect way you recommend?
My best idea so far is a below this list in which I could either drag-and-drop the users I want to select or double click them
Any better ideas/examples?
Thanks
I don't know whether you're using jQuery, nor whether your site's design vocabulary is suited to it -- but this jQuery autosuggest plugin is excellent.
+1 for ksr's autosuggest find. I would use this in conjunction with a list box. The user types in the autosuggest input field and when they select an item it adds it to a list box. They can then add additional names via the same method, and submit the list when they've added all the names.
I would go for the pattern used by eBay. They probably did some usability research. You can find more info here: http://quince.infragistics.com/Patterns/Multiple%20Selection%20from%20a%20Large%20List.aspx
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Every software development professional (and especially project managers) has to deal with a never ending stream of e-mails. What is the best way of organising them in MS Outlook?
Obviously some fancy issue tracking tools give more flexibility but I am interested in plain vanilla approach that can be deployed within most organisations.
P.S. Finding e-mails is generally the least of the problems that needs to be addressed. Search nowdays is pretty good.
Within my main inbox I have 3 sub folers: Do, Done, Defer and 3 macros to move the selected folder into the relevent folder. (alt-1 moves the selected mail to done and then selects the next mail). Each day I quickly filter my inbox into the three folders. I can process several hundred mails in 20 mins or so.
Do, something I expect to process today.
Done, something I don't care about/have read and understood, I dont expect to refer back to these today.
Defer, something I will do something about but not today.
At the end of processing I expect my inbox to be empty.
At the end of the day all mail items in Do move to Defer (I dont want to keep things in
Done overnight).
At the start of the day all items in Defer are filtered using the rules above, I dont want to leave things in Defer for more then a day or 2. If stuff hangs around for too long I will add it to my diary to process later.
At the end of the day all mail in Done is copied into an archive folder based on the month/year. Done is just a parking place for things to be archived.
I use a tool to index my archive, I actually use X1 but google desktop is an excellent alternative.
I filter out any important facts i would like to refer back to in outlook notes.
I filter out any tasks I would like to recal into omni focus (http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnifocus/) the best GTD I have found.
I DO NOT EVER use my inbox as a todo list or a mechanism for recording subtle facts I want to recall later. I know a lot of people do but IMHO its just a bad way to be.
(cross posted to LJ).
EDIT.
Oh per a post above I also filter any mail not posted to me directly, by the mailing list the mail was sent to. I give different amounts of attention to each mailing list. I do follow the mechanism above for each mailing list but some I glance at and some I process in detail.
ReEDIT
In comments I was asked to provide the source for the macros I mentioned above. I DONT suggest this is seen as an example of good VBA, I am pretty sure it was sourced from the interweb and adapted for my purposes. It has worked reliably for many years.
Sub MoveToDone()
On Error Resume Next
Dim objFolder As Outlook.MAPIFolder, objInbox As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Dim objNS As Outlook.NameSpace, objItem As Outlook.MailItem
Set objNS = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Set objInbox = objNS.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox)
Set objFolder = objInbox.Folders("Done")
'Assume this is a mail folder
If objFolder Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "This folder doesn't exist!", vbOKOnly + vbExclamation, "INVALID FOLDER"
End If
If Application.ActiveExplorer.Selection.Count = 0 Then
'Require that this procedure be called only when a message is selected
MsgBox "No msgs selected", vbOKOnly + vbExclamation, "NO_MSG_SELECTED"
Exit Sub
End If
For Each objItem In Application.ActiveExplorer.Selection
If objFolder.DefaultItemType = olMailItem Then
If objItem.Class = olMail Then
objItem.Move objFolder
End If
End If
Next
Set objItem = Nothing
Set objFolder = Nothing
Set objInbox = Nothing
Set objNS = Nothing
End Sub
Depending on the amt of mail you receive I have 2 strategies that can be used together:
1) As most people suggest above, use your inbox as your todo list, and keep it clean. have 1 folder for Archived mails, and use all the search tools for searching!
2) If you get HUGE amts of mail, then use a filter to move mails that you are only CC'ed on to another folder. Then only check that folder N times a day ( I used N=3, morning, lunch & home time )
You will be amazed how much time it saves you, esp if you find that you feel drawn to reading mails that are in your Inbox trying to keep you Inbox clean.
This stop non-urgent mails from disrupting your flow, and is just quicker because you can now read the entire thread of the conversion by the people who were in the TO list.
HTH
any email that is auto-generated gets auto-filtered to its own folder. Separate folders for each project, and more for HR and general company junk. Basically the inbox should only contain things that need responses, once responded to messages move into a folder.
I keep anything that needs my attention in my Inbox and move everything completed to my Saved Folder.
I have just started using Categories as of Monday and I think they are something that more people need to be aware of.
I have a few rules which detect Project Names from the Subject and auto assign to the correct Category with my Inbox set to Group by Category.
Finally I use Google Desktop for Searching - much quicker and easier although does not like me moving my messages to my Saved Folder.
Install LookOut, leave everything in the Inbox and just search for stuff.
Ok, maybe do some organisation, but LookOut is pretty good, and the better the search, the less manual organisation you have to do, and that is a Good Thing, IMO.
i use folders!!! we usually get tasks which have unique number!! so folders are named after task numbers!!
Finished task's folders move to archive!! simple and yet powerful! I found it useful and following it for the past 3+years
I simply have two folders: my inbox, and a subfolder called "archive". My inbox is my todo-list. If any message needs further attention, or has some action that needs to be completed, or I'm waiting for an answer for something, it stays in the inbox. If it's handled, I move it to the archive.
Therefore, if it's in the inbox, it reminds me of the stuff that I still need to do everytime I check my e-mail.
Search indexing in Outlook with Vista makes searching through e-mails just as much fun as it is with Google Mail, so you can apply the same strategy as they did. Why delete an e-mail?
Also, I turn off auto-archiving and keep all e-mails local with me.
I use the same principles as this GTD article - link text
Essentially, I keep my Inbox clear, and move everything to the folders as mentioned in the article. Search is good enough these days that you don't need endless sub-folders.
Everybody seems to suggest folders; I suggest Categories.
I have 1 active pst and 1 pst per archived year, every mail is assigned one or more categories. Adjust folder view to group by category.
The main advantage is that you can assign several categories to a single mail.
Everything that still needs attention is in the inbox without categories.
Oh yes, and Rules! As already mentioned, rules for automated emails, as well as a rule for known senders, which files incoming mail into a special inbox folder.
Folders! Nice and simple.
I have found these to be invaluable over the years to help organise a separate emails on a customer or project basis. Even when there's multiple parties involved i only have to look in 2 folders at most to find what i'm after.
Edit: Similar to what tloach said, i use the inbox essentailly as a todo list of things i still need to look at.
1 folder per project.
1 folder for personal mails.
1 folder for support.
Inbox for most other things.
I usually set up rules to auto-direct mail into the right folders.
Files and folders, auto-filtering and a small inbox (i.e. Inbox Zero) are all good practices, but ultimately it's all about being able to find emails when you need them and for that there's only one answer for Outlook at the moment.
Install Xobni.
I use Windows Desktop Search.
I have a huge offline PST where I move everything, and I can easily find anything by searching.
Use folders - one for each subject ex. project X, Marketing, Personal, TODO etc.
I use Xobni as well to quickly find emails from specific sender.
Two "Special" folders: "Inbox" for emails sent to me and "Inbox-CC" for emails I'm CC'd. New emails arrive to one of those folders and then I decide where to store them.
Merlin Mann has spent a load of time exploring this as Inbox Zero. There's a great video presentation at Google which is well worthwhile watching.
I'm an extreme sorter and have had an interesting time reorganizing my boss's email patterns - she gets 500 emails per day. After spam. And requires that all of her email remain in Outlook (meaning transferring, say, emails form 2001 into an archive file is out). It's still an organic process, but the most effective, and most easily adopted by her, have been to:
1) Use folders to separate functional areas. For example: A Company or Work folder containing Contracts (with a subfolder for each active contract), Business Development (proposals/leads), and Personal Development (education and conference materials, receipts, etc). Outside of the Company folder is a Personal folder for non-work related emails.
My only rule of thumb is embrace the use of folders, but don't go crazy with the subfolders. It's one thing to separate your M&Ms from your Snickers and Dairy Milks, another to separate the colors of your M&Ms.
2) Categories suck. They are not labels or tags. They are deficient. That said, there's little else that can help you highlight/color emails except maybe flags in Outlook 2003. I have a rule set up to categories any email that is sent from other employees within the company, so they don't get overlooked.
Once that's done: Rules, Rules, Rules. I haven't found a limit. I've got all manner of highly refined Spam filters first, followed by News filters that move all the lists and newsletters and RFP announcements to a news folder and mark them as read (unread messages denote priority and require attention; news is optional - it's procrastination, not work). Then there is a rule for each contract filtering any email from the customer domain to the appropriate contract folder.
And of course I would say read Inbox Zero (specifically this one) and Email Zen and take what nuggets of goodness mean the most to you before proceeding.
I just keep it all in my Inbox and let it auto-archive. That way I can sort and search the Inbox to find anything. Google Desktop Search helps too.
I know some people who fastidiously reassign their emails into a huge hierarchy of folders. They can never find anything more than 2 days old! "Maybe I put it under Project X; no, maybe under Oracle Issues; no, ..."