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Use Source Control Explorer to manage files in TFVC

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Azure DevOps Services | Azure DevOps Server 2022 - Azure DevOps Server 2019

Visual Studio 2019 | Visual Studio 2022

Use Source Control Explorer to browse file versions and work with your codebase under Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC).

Note

If you're using Git for version control, manage your Visual Studio project files by using Git Changes. For more details, see Get started with Git in Azure Repos. You can also learn more about using Git with Visual Studio in the Azure Repos Git tutorial.

If you need to work with your Visual Studio solution files outside of version control, use Solution Explorer. Source Control Explorer is for managing changes that you make in your project when you use TFVC.

Open Source Control Explorer

Source Control Explorer is available in Visual Studio, but it isn't opened by default when you work with a project that's managed in TFVC. You can open the Source Control Explorer window:

  • From the Team Explorer home page. On the keyboard, select Ctrl+0+H to open Team Explorer. Then select Source Control Explorer.
  • From the Visual Studio menu bar. Select View > Other Windows > Source Control Explorer.

Screenshot of Source Control Explorer in Visual Studio. A local path and several folders and branches are visible.

Use the command prompt

You can also use the command prompt to manage your files in TFVC. For more information, see Use Team Foundation version control commands.

FAQ

The following sections provide answers to commonly asked questions.

If the Not mapped link appears next to Local Path in a folder that contains files that you need to work with, you can select the link to map the folder. For more information, see Create and work with workspaces.

How do I change the local path?

Screenshot of Source Control Explorer in Visual Studio. In the Workspace list, a workspace is visible and Workspaces is highlighted.

See Create and work with workspaces.

How do I hide or display the Folders pane?

  • To display the Folders pane, on the Source Control Explorer toolbar, select the Folders icon.
  • To hide the folders pane, use one of these options:
    • On the upper-right corner of the Folders title bar, select Close.
    • On the Source Control Explorer toolbar, select the Folders icon.

I don't see the latest data in the window. How can I fix this?

If Source Control Explorer doesn't display the latest data that's on the server, you can refresh the data. On the Source Control Explorer toolbar, select the Refresh icon.

How can the Pending Change column help me?

The Pending Change column displays your pending changes to an item. Source Control Explorer also displays the pending changes of other team members who are using server workspaces. It lists their names in the User column. If an ellipsis (...) appears, you can view a list of the users and their pending changes:

  1. In the Name column, right-click the item, and then select Properties.

  2. In the Properties dialog box, select the Status tab. A list of users appears in the User column. Their associated pending changes appear in the Change Type column.

Why do I see this error message: "Team Foundation Server is not your current Source Control plug-in. Click here to set the current Source Control plug-in"?

You might have connected to a Git repository in your project. Use Team Explorer and Solution Explorer to manage your files in Git repos.