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# Work in the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE

You can do your OpenText Software Delivery Management work directly from the Microsoft Visual Studio development framework.

In this topic:

## Overview

Using the open source plugin for Visual Studio, developers can connect to a workspace, view OpenText Software Delivery Management items, and make updates.

The plugins support two-way integration:

- The plugin updates all data in the host Visual Studio application.

- Changes made in Visual Studio impact data in OpenText Software Delivery Management.

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## Prerequisites

The following prerequisites are necessary for the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE plugin.

1. Verify that your operating system is supported: Windows 7, 8, 10

2. Verify that your software is supported.

   App / Plugin | Version
   --- | ---
   Microsoft Visual Studio | 2017, 2019, 2022 All editions: Community, Professional, and Enterprise
   OpenText Software Delivery Management Visual Studio plugin | 12.55.7 and later
   OpenText Software Delivery Management | 12.55.7 and later

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## Download and install the plugin

Download the plugin from the Visual Studio Marketplace.

1. From within the Visual Studio IDE, select Tools > Extensions and Updates > Online > Visual Studio Marketplace.

2. Search for the OpenText Software Delivery Management plugin. Follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

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## Configure the connection

After installing, a new category of settings is available in Visual Studio. This category contains the fields you need to connect Visual Studio to OpenText Software Delivery Management.

To configure the connection:

1. In Visual Studio, select Tools > Options > OpenText Software Delivery Management.

2. Enter the URL for the OpenText Software Delivery Management server. The URL can include the query parameters for the relevant space and the workspace, in which case the Space and Workspace fields are automatically populated. Either of the following formats is valid:

   -     https://<server>:<port>

   -     https://<server>:<port>/ui/?p=<spaceID>/<workspaceID>

3. Log in with a browser or directly from the IDE.

   Log in method | Description
   --- | ---
   Browser | The login window opens, enabling you to enter your credentials. Use this option for both SSO and non-SSO, federated environments, and for session timeouts. Tip: In the login window, you can also click the Click here to use your system default browser link to open an authentication page for logging in. Enter your credentials, close the browser, and you will be logged in.
   Username and password | Enter your credentials for logging in to OpenText Software Delivery Management directly. This option retains your credentials so you do not have to enter them each time.

4. Click Test connection.

You can now work with OpenText Software Delivery Management from within Visual Studio.

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## Work on your items

You can perform the following actions on your items from the My Work tab.

Action | Details
--- | ---
Open the My Work tab | Select View > Other Windows > OpenText Software Delivery Management. The pane displays work assigned to you. Use the check boxes to filter which items to display. When you start another session, the Eclipse plugin remembers what you were working on last time, and opens tabs in the OpenText Software Delivery Management pane accordingly. Most OpenText Software Delivery Management items are available from the IDE.
View an item's details | Double-click an item to open its details in a separate pane. Click the Select fields button to select which fields to display. These settings only affect you. When you start another session, the Visual Studio plugin remembers your field selection. Tip: You can also: Open the item directly in OpenText Software Delivery Management in a browser. Press Alt and double-click the item in the OpenText Software Delivery Management pane. Right-click the item and choose one of the following options from the context menu: Show Details and Open in Browser.
Search for items | You can search all items and display the results, showing only the relevant items based on search criteria. Tip: The search looks through all items, not just the ones assigned to you. You can use the search to assign an item to yourself, or click Add to My Work from the context menu. Enter a search string in the search box. The search results are opened in a list. The plugin remembers the last five searches you ran. Click the search arrow to select one and re-run the search.
Update your items | As you implement stories and fix defects in Visual Studio, update your items. Move the status of an item from one phase to another, according to the defined workflow. Update field values. If a rule exists that makes a field read-only, and you modify its value, the plugin notifies you when you save the item. Click Comments to view and add comments.
Download Gherkin test scripts to implement automation | Gherkin tests can be initially created in OpenText Software Delivery Management, and then automated using Eclipse. In the My Work pane, right-click a Gherkin test, and select Download script. The downloaded script name is in the format `<TestName>-<TestID>.feature`.
Download BDD scenarios to implement automation | You can create and run BDD (behavior-driven development) tests in OpenText Software Delivery Management using Gherkin scenarios, using the Cucumber-JVM framework. In the My Work pane, right-click a BDD scenario, and select Download script. The downloaded script name is in the format `<BDD Name>_<BDD ID>`.
Start work and commit changes | You can declare to the SCM system, such as Git, that you have started work on an item in a Visual Studio project. When you commit changes for that item, automatically-generated text can be copied and pasted into the commit message for the item. In the My Work pane, select a user story, a quality story, a defect, or an active task. Click the Active button in the toolbar. To generate the text for the commit message and copy it into the clipboard, right-click the item and select Commit Message to Clipboard. Tip: You must make the item active to copy the commit message. Commit your changes. In the Git Staging area, paste the contents of the clipboard into the Commit Message area. The format for the commit message contains the item type, and the item ID. You can enter more details for your commit message after the name. For tasks, the item related to the task (such as a story or defect) is also included. To cancel the commit message, in the My Work pane, right-click the item and choose Stop work. You can also manually edit commit messages, without using auto-complete. For details, see Track commits to your SCM system.
Dismiss items | Remove items from your My Work list if they are no longer relevant. Right-click the item and select Dismiss. The items are removed from My Work, but are not deleted in OpenText Software Delivery Management.

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See also:

- Integrations
- IDE integrations

https://admhelp.microfocus.com Software Delivery Management 8942
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