Code + Feature Branching workflow overview in TFS

Question

We are starting to work with function branches, and we want to set up a registration policy that allows only check-ins for the baseline when they have associated code analysis.

The new code review workflow in 2012 is quite enjoyable, as you can easily interact with the developer and other reviewers and write lines of code directly. However, it seems that MS is completely not thinking about use, because we easily encounter the following problem:

• The developer is working on checking / shelving functions and regular integration.

• When she wants to integrate this feature, she again integrates into the baseline and requests an overview of these pending changes.

• The reviewer makes a few comments, and now she has to change the code. Where does she do it?

Option 1: Return to the branch, edit the code and register the changes in the branch. Discard pending changes to the first merge. Drain and repeat the request. Repeat until there are no more comments. Complete the merge. This is not so pleasant, because all comments on the review are in pending merger changes, and it should work in a branch where it does not see comments directly.

Option 2: Make changes directly to pending merge changes. Request retest. Repeat until there are no more comments. Complete the merge. If she wants to continue working in the branch, she will have to carry out integration, because there are no changes in the review there.

In any case, the second review is always very annoying because you cannot see the changes between the first and second reviews, since you always differ in the basic level.

Am I missing something? Is there another option that allows you to view changes in the review? Does anyone have a better way to fork functions and check code?

New: using VS and TFS2013, no improvements :(

Answer 1

You have not missed anything. This is an unfortunate problem with how code reviews were implemented; they can be associated with only one set of changes, and not with a number of changes.

If your team is used for a high frequency of checks in its branch functions, then each time you look at each set of changes with the tool, there can be a lot of overhead. But that would be my recommendation.

There is a trick, it is not perfect, but it can help. You can check (on your properties branch) all files that have been changed since the last check. Then request a review. He will create shelves with your changes and associate them with the review. Therefore, you should not perform a merge before requesting a review. Just make sure you merge the latest version from main into your function branch before pulling this trick. There are two main disadvantages:

• As long as all changed files are associated with the review, changes from the moment of the last review will not be automatically highlighted. The reviewer will have to manually perform "Compare with Version" and select the purpose of the comparison.
• There is a limit of 4000 (from the top of the head) files that can be associated with the review, so this can create a limit on what files you can view in the group (I hope you do not change 4000 + files between integrations in the main one).