Work Item Fields (CMMI)

You use work item fields to track data for a work item type, to define the filter criteria for queries, and to generate reports. Work item types that are defined for the process template for MSF for CMMI Process Improvement v5.0 share many work item fields.

Not all fields that are tracked in the database for tracking work items appear on any work item form. You can review the information in this topic to learn more about the work item fields that are used to track information, the restrictions for specific fields, and the fields that are reported and indexed. If you want to customize a work item type, you can review the information for each data field that is already defined for that type.

Also, you can learn more about the toolbar controls that appear on the links and attachment tabs on the work item forms.

Common Tasks

Tasks	Related content
Identify additional fields that you can use to differentiate work. You use the Title and Description fields to define the basic information for most types of work items. In addition, you can differentiate some work items further by using the fields that are provided for each type of work item. In addition to the fields that you can track on each work item form, you can use additional fields to filter queries and create reports.	Titles, IDs, Description, and History (CMMI)
Work with tree path reference fields. You use the area and iteration classification fields to categorize work items into product areas and iteration or sprint cycles.	Areas and Iterations
Define rank, priority, and other planning fields. You track the assignment, progress, and priority of all types of work items by using the fields that are grouped under Status on the work item form.	Assignments, Workflow, and Planning (CMMI)
Estimate the amount of work and schedule tasks. You can use the Original Estimate field to track how many hours of work will be required to implement most types of work items. For Tasks, you can use the Completed and Remaining fields, in addition to other scheduling fields, to track work. In addition to the fields that you can track on the work item form for Tasks, you can use several additional fields that support integration with Office Project.	Effort, Schedules, and Target Dates (CMMI)
Track the impact on the team of Change Requests. You use the fields on the Justification and Analysis tabs of the work item form for a Change Request to describe the details of a proposed change to some part of the product.	Change Request Fields (CMMI)
Record the decisions of formal code reviews. You use the fields on the Minutes and Comments tabs of the work item form for a Review to document the discussion and decisions that occurred during a code review.	Review Meeting Fields (CMMI)
Track information that is specific to code defects, issues, and risks. You create Bugs, Issues, and Risks to track code defects, blocking problems, and events that might impact progress. Each type of work item is associated with a specific set of fields that help you track and manage the impact of the work items on product development.	Fields that Track Bugs, Issues, and Risks (CMMI)
Understand restrictions around linking work items. You use links to create relationships between Requirements, Tasks, Test Cases, and other work items. Most links are restricted as to the types of links that you can create and types of work items to which can you can link.	Linking Work Items (CMMI)
Use form controls to define test steps. You add action and validation steps to Test Cases and Shared Steps on the Steps tab of the work item form. This tab captures a sequence of steps and data that is tightly integrated with Microsoft Test Manager.	Test Steps and Test Data
Define fields that track build numbers and test cases. You use build and test data fields to track information that helps the team resolve bugs or implement tests. In addition to the fields that appear on the work item form, you can use five additional fields to filter queries and create reports.	Build and Test Integration
Attach files. You can attach an e-mail thread, a document, an image, a log file, or another type of file to a work item. In addition, you can use the AttachedFileCount field to filter queries and create reports.	Attachments

Related Topics

Tasks	Related content
Learn about the data types and field attributes that you can specify. You can define fields to store specific types of data, such as text, numbers, or HTML content. You can set additional attributes that are based on how you want to use the field for reporting or query purposes.	Working with Work Item Fields
Add, remove, or customize how you use a work item field to track data. You use work item fields to track data for a work item type, to define the filter criteria for queries, and to generate reports. For any data element that you want to track, you must add a FIELD element to the definition file for the appropriate type of work item.	Defining Work Item Fields
Customize objects for tracking work items. You can customize fields, workflow, and forms that your team uses to track progress. You can customize all objects for tracking work items by modifying an XML file and importing it to the server that hosts the team project collection.	Customizing Project Tracking Data, Forms, Workflow, and Other Objects
Specify fields to perform specific actions. Team Foundation manages system fields, which you can use to track all types of work items. You add all other fields to a team project collection through the work item type definitions. For best results, you should use fields that already exist if they meet your needs.	Using System Fields and Fields Defined by the MSF Process Templates

See Also

Concepts

Using System Fields and Fields Defined by the MSF Process Templates

Finding Bugs, Tasks, and Other Work Items

Artifacts (CMMI)

Other Resources

Work Items and Workflow (CMMI)