TFS: Is adding another state that complex?

Question

First my apologies. I'm not using an english version of TFS, so some of the terms used below may not be precise.

In our team TFS is used for version control and for issue tracking. As a programmer I'd like to remove work items from my query results by assigning it another state. For example, when an error is assigned to me, I'd like to set its state from active to fixed after I fixed it. But I cannot do this because TFS is configured this way that there is no state "fixed".

There are only two states, active and solved, and we programmers are not allowed to set the state to solved. One of my colleagues has been given the task to introduce a new state in TFS but at the moment she has more important work to do. So I asked her boss when she will be given the proper time for that because I consider it rather important.

I've been told that this will take some time because adding a new state can break the database so we have to do a backup first and stuff.

I don't know how to configure TFS. I do know that adding a state is not just that but altering the workflow, maybe adjusting user rights and so on. I was told it could take a week or so until everything is set up properly. For one additional state.

But hey, is it really that complicated to add a new state?

Answer 1

For TFS 2010, adding a state can be done and yes, it's pretty easy if you use the TFS PowerTools.

This MSDN blog entry provides quite a bit of detail for the Agile task board.

And this blog entry also provides some step by step procedures to do so.

So, with TFS 2010 and TFS Powertools, it's pretty easy.

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For TFS 2012, it's not as clear.

This SO answer says both yes and no, with the accepted answer saying yes and providing some basic steps.

This SO answer links to another tutorial and says it can be done but the editing may be with the raw XML and not as pretty as you might like.