Using Team Foundation Server Express 2012 with Visual Studio 2008

While developing Windows Embedded 6.5.3 mobile application, for which the “latest” IDE is Visual Studio 2008, we needed to setup some Source Code Version control system. The obvious decision was to use native Microsoft product.

The project requirements were not high regarding the number of programmers involved so I have decided to use Team Foundation Server Express 2012 (TFS), since it’s free for up to five users and can be up-scaled to full Team Foundation Server.

We have downloaded the Team Foundation Server Express 2012 from Microsoft site: http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/eng/products/visual-studio-team-foundation-server-express and our system administrator installed it on a separate VM, did all the security “mambo-jumbo” adding me as a Team Foundation Server Administrators.

Next thing to do is to have Visual Studio 2008 prepared to connect to TFS via Team Explorer. Order of steps is as follows:

  • Installation of Team Explorer for Visual Studio Team System 2008 (link ISO)
  • Installation of SP1 for Visual Studio 2008 (link ISO, link Installer) – if you have installed SP1 before Team Explorer then you need to reapply the SP1 installation (more info)
  • Installation of Visual Studio Team System 2008 Service Pack 1 Forward Compatibility Update for Team Foundation Server 2010 (link)
  • Installation of GDR Update for Visual Studio 2008 SP1 to add support for Team Foundation Server 2012 and Team Foundation Service Preview (link)

After all of these installations you should start Visual Studio 2008 and try to connect to Team Foundation Server. In Visual Studio go to Tools->Connect to Team Foundation Server… click Servers button and then Add… button. When Add Team Foundation Server window opens in Team Foundation Server Name insert full URL of the TFS. For example: http://mytfsserver:8080/tfs.

addTeamFoundationServer

Click OK, Close and in the Connect to Team Foundation Server select Team Projects you want to connect to.

Now you can start using Team Explorer (View->Team Explorer).

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