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Global Workflow XML Element Reference

  • Article

By using global workflow, you can minimize the work that is required to define and update work item fields and global lists that many types of work items and team projects share. With global workflow, you can define and update fields and global lists that apply to all types of work items in a team project or a team project collection.

Note

Before you can define a global workflow, the feature must be enabled on the application-tier server. The server must be running a version of Visual Studio Team Foundation Server that supports that feature, such as Team Foundation Server 2010 with Service Pack 1 (SP1). You can download that service pack from the following page on the Microsoft website: Service Pack 1 of Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010, Beta.

For more information, see Customizing Global Workflow.

In this topic

  • Global Workflow Syntax Structure

  • FIELD (Definition) Container Element

  • GLOBALLIST and LISTITEM Child Elements

Note

If you want only to manage global lists for a collection, see Defining Global Lists.

Global Workflow Syntax Structure

You define the global workflow by using the GLOBALWORKFLOW element, which supports FIELDS (Definition) and GLOBALLISTS elements as children.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<GLOBALWORKFLOW>
   <FIELDS> 
      <FIELD> . . . </FIELD>
   </FIELDS>
   <GLOBALLISTS> 
      <GLOBALLIST> . . . </GLOBALLIST>
   </GLOBALLISTS>
</GLOBALWORKFLOW>

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FIELD (Definition) Element

You use the following syntax to define the data fields within a global workflow. This syntax shows the FIELD (Definition) element format and all optional child elements. For more information, see FIELD (Definition) Element and All FIELD XML Elements Reference.

Note

You cannot specify the HELPTEXT element for a field that you define in a global workflow.

<FIELD name="fieldDisplayName" refname="fieldReferenceName" type="String | Integer | Double | DateTime | PlainText | HTML | History | TreePath | GUID "
syncnamechanges="true | false" reportingname="reportingDisplayName" reportingrefname="reportingReferenceName"
reportable="Dimension | Detail | Measure" formula="avg" >
   <ALLOWEDVALUES> . . . </ALLOWEDVALUES>
   <ALLOWEXISTINGVALUE />
   <CANNOTLOSEVALUE />
   <COPY />
   <DEFAULT />
   <EMPTY />
   <FROZEN />   <MATCH />
   <NOTSAMEAS />
   <PROHIBITEDVALUES /> . . . </PROHIBITEDVALUES>
   <READONLY />
   <REQUIRED />
   <SERVERDEFAULT />
   <SUGGESTEDVALUES /> . . . </SUGGESTEDVALUES>
   <VALIDUSER />
   <WHEN>> . . . </WHEN>
   <WHENNOT> . . . </WHENNOT>
   <WHENCHANGED> . . . </WHENCHANGED>
   <WHENNOTCHANGED> . . . </WHENNOTCHANGED>
</FIELD>

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GLOBALLIST and LISTITEM Child Elements

The following table describes the GLOBALLIST and LISTITEM elements. You specify these elements as child elements of the GLOBALWORKFLOW element. You can use these elements to enumerate a list of values that appears to the user as a pick list or a drop-down menu of items. For more information, see Defining and Using Lists, Pick Lists, and Global Lists.

Element

Description and Syntax

GLOBALIST

Defines a set of LISTITEM elements that are stored for a team project collection or a team project.

globalListName: A string of text that contains between 1 and 255 characters.

<GLOBALLIST name="globalListName">
    <LISTITEM> . . . </LISTITEM>
</GLOBALLIST>

GLOBALLIST is a required child element of the GLOBALLISTS element.

LISTITEM

Defines a valid value that appears in the list.

<LISTITEM value="listName" />

LISTITEM is a required child element of GLOBALLIST.

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See Also

Concepts

All FIELD XML Elements Reference

Customizing Project Tracking Data, Forms, Workflow, and Other Objects

Other Resources

Customizing Global Workflow