Modify a Work Item
You can modify a work item to perform the following tasks:
update its workflow status
capture additional information
attach specifications, e-mail threads, images, or other documents
link a work item to other work items
You can modify work items in any one of the programs that serve as clients to Visual Studio Team Foundation Server. Regardless of which client you use, a record is created in the History field every time that you modify a work item. This record shows which field or fields you modified and what the old and new values are.
For additional information, see the following topics:
In this topic
Modifying a Work Item Using Team Web Access
Modifying a Work Item in the Team Explorer Work Item Form
Modifying a Work Item in the Team Explorer Results View
Modifying a Work Item by Using Office Excel
Modifying a Work Item by Using Office Project
Required Permissions
To perform these procedures, you must be a member of the Contributors group or have your View work items in this node and your Edit work items in this node permissions set to Allow. For more information, see Team Foundation Server Permissions.
Modifying a Work Item Using Team Web Access
To modify a work item using Team Web Access
In Team Web Access, view the results of a work item query that contains the work item that you want to modify.
Click the down arrow next to the work item that you want to modify.
On the menu that appears, click Edit Work Item.
In the work item form, modify the work item as required.
Click Save or Save & Close.
Modifying a Work Item in the Team Explorer Work Item Form
To modify a work item in the work item form in Team Explorer
In Team Explorer, view the results of a work item query that contains the work item that you want to modify.
Right-click a work item, and then click Open.
Modify the fields that you want to change.
Click Save Work Item.
Close the work item form.
Modifying a Work Item in the Team Explorer Results View
To modify a work item in the Results view in Team Explorer
In Team Explorer, view the results of a query that contains the work item that you want to modify.
In the query results list, click the work item that you want to modify.
On the work item form under the results list, modify the fields that you want to change.
Note
In the Results List, a pen icon appears next to work items that you have changed but have not yet saved.
Click Save Work Item.
Modifying a Work Item by Using Office Excel
To modify a work item by using Office Excel
Open or create a work item list in Office Excel.
(Optional) If you reopen a work item list, on the Team tab, in the Work Items group, click Refresh.
This step helps make sure that the work item list has the most current information.
Modify work items as required.
If you must modify a field that does not appear in the worksheet, you can add a column to the worksheet by following these steps:
On the Team tab, in the Work Items group, click Choose Columns.
In the Choose Columns dialog box, select the other columns that you want, and then click > (Add).
(Optional) On the Team tab, in the Work Items group, click Publish.
Note
If a publishing error occurs, see Working in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project Connected to Team Foundation Server.
(Optional) Save the Office Excel worksheet.
Modifying a Work Item by Using Office Project
To modify a work item by using Office Project
Open or create a project plan in Office Project.
(Optional) If you reopen a plan, on the Team menu, click Refresh.
This step helps make sure that the Office Project plan has the most current information.
On the View menu, click Team System Task Sheet.
The Team Foundation Task Sheet view shows all fields that are exchanged between Office Project and Team Foundation.
Modify the work item as required.
On the Team menu, click Publish Changes.
Note
Certain fields, for example, a date-calculated field, may be customized so that it is published but not refreshed, even when the Publish and Refresh column for the work item is set to Yes. For more information, see Quick Tips and Operational Differences when Tracking Tasks Using Microsoft Project and Team Foundation and The Microsoft Project Field Mapping File.
If a publishing error occurs, see Working in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project Connected to Team Foundation Server.
(Optional) Save the Office Project plan.
Note
An Office Project plan stores information that Team Foundation does not store. You should save your Office Project plan to preserve the information that Team Foundation does not store. For more information about how Office Project and Team Foundation manage scheduling data, see Quick Tips and Operational Differences when Tracking Tasks Using Microsoft Project and Team Foundation..
See Also
Tasks
Create, Open, and Modify Work Items Using Office Excel
Create a Microsoft Project Plan from Team Foundation Work Items
Concepts
Working with Team Foundation Clients
Other Resources
Work Items and Workflow (Agile)
Work Items and Workflow (CMMI)