Work in the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE

You can do your ValueEdge work directly from the Microsoft Visual Studio development framework. To do so, install the ValueEdge plugin for Visual Studio.

Overview

Using the plugin, developers can connect to an ValueEdge workspace, view ValueEdge items, and make updates.

The plugins are open source.

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 ValueEdge.

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Prerequisites

This section describes the prerequisites for the ValueEdge plugin for the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE.

  1. Verify that your operating system is supported: 

    • Windows 10, 8, 7

  2. Verify that your software is supported:

    App / Plugin Version
    Microsoft Visual Studio

    2017, 2019, 2022

    All editions: Community, Professional, and Enterprise
    ValueEdge Visual Studio plugin

    12.55.7 and later

    ValueEdge 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, choose Tools > Extensions and Updates > Online > Visual Studio Marketplace.

    Or, go to the Visual Studio Marketplace.

  2. Search for the ValueEdge plugin. Follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

  3. Continue to Connect to ValueEdge.

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Connect to ValueEdge

After installing, a new category of settings is available in Visual Studio. We use this area to connect Visual Studio to ValueEdge.

  1. In Visual Studio, choose Tools > Options > ValueEdge.

  2. Enter the URL for the ValueEdge 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. Either log in with a browser or directly from the IDE:

    • Login using a browser. The ValueEdge login window displays and you can enter your credentials. Use this option in for both non-SSO and 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 into ValueEdge.

    • Login with username and password. Enter your credentials for logging into ValueEdge directly. This option retains your credentials so you do not have to enter them each time.

You can now work with ValueEdge from within Visual Studio.

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Work on your ValueEdge items

This section describes how to access your ValueEdge items from the ValueEdge's My Work tab.

To view your items|:

  1. Open the ValueEdge pane.

    Choose View > Other Windows > ValueEdge. The ValueEdge pane displays work assigned to you. Use the checkboxes to filter which items you can see.

    When you start another session, the ValueEdge Visual Studio plugin remembers what you were working on last time, and opens tabs in the ValueEdge pane accordingly.

    Most ValueEdge items are available from the IDE.

  2. View an item's details

    Double-click most items to open their details in a separate pane.

    Click to choose which fields to see. These settings only affect you. When you start another session, the ValueEdge Visual Studio plugin remembers your field selection.

    Click to view the item's comments.

    Tip: You can also:

    • Open the item directly in ValueEdge in a browser. Press Alt and double-click the item in the ValueEdge pane.

    • Right-click the item and choose one of the following options from the context menu: Show Details and Open in Browser.

  3. Search for items

    You can search all ValueEdge items and display the results in a new tab, showing only the relevant items based on search criteria.

    Tip: The search looks through all ValueEdge 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 new pane.

    The plugin remembers the last five searches you ran. Click the drop-down arrow to select one and re-run the search.

  4. Update your items

    • Move the status of an item from one phase to another, according to the defined ValueEdge 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.

    Make sure to save .

  5. Download Gherkin test scripts to implement automation

    Gherkin tests can be initially created in ValueEdge, and then automated using Visual Studio.

    In the ValueEdge pane, right-click a Gherkin test, and choose Download Script.

  6. Download BDD scenarios to implement automation

    You can create and run BDD (behavior-driven development) tests in ValueEdge using Gherkin scenarios, with the Cucumber-JVM framework.

    In the ValueEdge pane, right-click a BDD scenario, and choose Download Script.

  7. Commit changes with generated messages

    You can declare to the SCM system, such as Git, that you have started work on an item in a Visual Studio project. This means that when you commit changes for that item, automatically-generated text can be copied and pasted into the commit message for the item.

    You can commit changes for user stories, quality stories, defects, or active tasks.

    1. In the ValueEdge pane, select a user story, a quality story, a defect, or an active task.

    2. Click Active in the toolbar.

    3. To generate the text for the commit message and copy it into the clipboard, right-click the item and select Commit Message to Clipboard. Alternatively, you can also click the corresponding button in the Eclipse toolbar.

      Tip: You must make the item active to copy the commit message.

    4. 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 ValueEdge pane, right-click the item and choose Stop work. Alternatively, click the Overflow >Stop work button in the toolbar.

    You can also manually edit commit messages. For details, see Track commits to your SCM system.

  8. Dismiss items

    Remove items from your My Work list if they are no longer relevant. Right-click the item and choose Dismiss. The items are removed from My Work, but are not deleted in ValueEdge.

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See also: