Customize and manage the test experience

Azure DevOps Services | Azure DevOps Server 2022 - Azure DevOps Server 2019 | TFS 2018 - TFS 2013

Using the tcm fieldmapping command, you can customize the following three features that Azure Test Plans supports.

  • Change the bug type used to automatically file bugs in Test Manager
  • Customize the resolution states pick list
  • Customize the failure types pick list.

Microsoft Test Manager has been deprecated. It has been replaced with Azure Test Plans, a fully featured test management solution. Microsoft Test Manager 2017, which shipped with Microsoft Visual Studio 2017, is the last version available.

The tcm command-line tool works when run against Azure DevOps Services and on-premises Azure DevOps Server.

Important

The tcm tool is available through Visual Studio 2017 and earlier versions. It isn't available in Visual Studio 2019 and later versions.

Also, you can use tcm command options to copy and clone test plans and test suites.

Prerequisites

For the project where you define the work item types, you must be a member of the Project Administrators security group. See Change project-level permissions.

To run the tcm command-line tool, enter Developer Command Prompt in the Type here to search box and choose the version that applies to you. The tcm command is located in the following folder:

TFS 2015, Visual Studio 2015 client

%programfiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Common7\IDE

Syntax

tcm fieldmapping /export /collection:CollectionURL /teamproject:Project /type:resolutiontype|bug|failuretype /mappingfile:path [/login:username,[password]]  

tcm fieldmapping /import /collection:CollectionURL /teamproject:Project /type:resolutiontype|bug|failuretype /mappingfile:path [/login:username,[password]]  

Parameters

Parameter Description
/export Specifies export of the field mapping file of the type specified. For the syntax of supported file types, see the Remarks section.
/import Specifies import of the field mapping file.
/mappingfile:Path The path and file name of the XML definition file that contains the field mappings.
/collection:CollectionURL Specifies the uniform resource identifier (URI) of the project collection. The format for the URI is as follows: http://ServerName:Port/VirtualDirectoryName/CollectionName

If no virtual directory is used, the format for the URI is as follows:

http://ServerName:Port/CollectionName
/teamproject:Project Specifies the name of the project for which the field mappings are to be applied. This project must be defined in the project collection that is specified by the /collection parameter.
/type:resolutiontype|bug|failuretype The type of file to import or export. For the syntax structure of each file type, see bug, resolution states, and failure types.
/login: UserName,Password Optional. Specifies the name and password of a user who is logged who has permissions to run the command.

You would use this option when your Windows credentials do not have the appropriate permissions, you are using basic authentication, or you are not on a domain.
/? or help Displays help about the command in the Command Prompt window.

Remarks

Each time that you run the tcm fieldmapping import command, the contents of the existing field mapping file are replaced with the contents that you import.

Mapping file for bug work item type

When the supported clients for Azure Test Plans creates a bug, the mapping file defines the work item type to create and fills in three data fields: reproducible steps, system information, and the build in which the defect was found. When a tester runs a test and finds a defect, they can create a bug in which these three fields are automatically filled in.

If your project was created with one of the default process templates, the bug work item type is already enabled. However, if you're adding another type of work item to the bug category or you're working with a customized process template, you might have to use the tcm command.

You can define only one work item type to be created when you run tests for Azure Test Plans.

The following XML syntax lists the default contents of the bug field mappings file. All three fields must be specified when you import a bug field mappings file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>  
<BugFilerMappings workitemtypetocreate="Bug">  
   <ReproSteps>Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.ReproSteps</ReproSteps>  
   <SystemInformation>Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.SystemInfo</SystemInformation>  
   <BuildFoundIn>Microsoft.VSTS.Build.FoundIn</BuildFoundIn>  
</BugFilerMappings>  

For more information about test fields, see Build and test integration fields.

Mapping file for resolution states

The following XML syntax lists the default contents of the resolution states defined for the default process templates.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>  
<TestResolutionStates>  
    <TestResolutionState name="Needs investigation" />  
    <TestResolutionState name="Test issue" />  
    <TestResolutionState name="Product issue" />  
    <TestResolutionState name="Configuration issue" />  
</TestResolutionStates>  

For on-premises collection, you can customize the resolution states defined in the process template.

When you analyze failed tests, you assign the failure type and resolution state.

Analyse test run page in Microsoft Test Manager

Mapping file for failure types

The following XML syntax lists the default failure types defined for a project.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>  
<TestFailureTypes>  
  <TestFailureType name="Regression" />  
  <TestFailureType name="New Issue" />  
  <TestFailureType name="Known Issue" />  
  <TestFailureType name="Unknown" />  
</TestFailureTypes>  

Examples

Unless otherwise specified, the following values apply in each example:

  • URI for the project collection: http://AdventureWorksServer:8080/tfs/Collection1
  • Project name: AdventureWorks
  • Bug field mapping file name: bugfieldmappings.xml
  • Folder location: "C:\Users\AdminUser\Documents\"

Import the bug field mappings file

The following command imports the contents of the bugfieldmappings.xml file to the AdventureWorks project that is defined in Collection1 on the server that is named AdventureWorksServer.

tcm fieldmapping /import /type:bug /mappingfile:"C:\Users\AdminUser\Documents\bugfieldmappings.xml" /collection:http://AdventureWorksServer:8080/tfs/Collection1 /teamproject:AdventureWorks