Control the display of work item fields

You can control the label name, position, size of text box, and other display controls of plain text, integer, number, date, and tree path work item fields on your work item form. To display these fields, you must specify the correct Control element Type attribute, from the following options:

• DateTimeControl: Used to display formatted date fields that have a field type of DateTime.

• FieldControl: Used to display plain textual or numeric fields and lists of values for fields that have a field type of String, Identity, Integer, Double, and PlainText.

• HtmlFieldControl: Used to display multiline, rich-text format of fields that have a field data type of HTML.

• WorkItemClassificationControl Used to display the hierarchical path fields that have a field type of TreePath.

For more information about other Type controls, see the following topics:

• Specify work item form controls

• Provide help text, hyperlinks, or web content on a work item form

• Define link controls to restrict link relationships

• Add the Attachments control

In this topic

• Control the size and display of data fields

• Label fields and add fields in two places on the form

• Make a field read-only

• Add plain text and number fields

• Add formatted text fields

• Add Date or Calendar fields

• Add Fields for Area and Iteration paths

Control the size and display of data fields

You can control the spacing and size of each data field by using the optional attributes that are described in the following table.

Label fields and add fields in two places on the form

For each form control, you can specify an optional label and the position of the label by using the Label and LabelPosition attributes. The label can specify a different name than the friendly name that is assigned by the FIELD element. If you do not specify a label, the friendly name is used. However, note that the friendly name is always used when a team member runs a query to search for work items. The maximum label size is 80 characters.

If you want to add the field in more than one area of the form, such as on the top of the form and on a tab, you can do so by using the Name attribute. The Name attribute just identifies the control as distinct from the other control that is added to the form.

Make a field Read-Only

You can mark a field as read-only in one of two ways. In the first method, you add the READONLY element as a child to the FIELD element in the FIELDS section of the type definition. By using the READONLY element, you can specify whether certain users can modify the field. As shown in the following example, only program managers can modify a Sub-Title field.

<FIELD name="Sub-Title" refname="ACME.ACE.SubTitle" type="String" >
<READONLY for="[Global]\Team Foundation Valid Users" not="Program Managers"/>
</FIELD>

In the second method, you specify the ReadOnly attribute for the CONTROL element. In this method, all users are restricted from modifying the field.

Control FieldName=" ACME.ACE.SubTitle" Type="FieldControl" Label="Sub-Title" LabelPosition="Left" ReadOnly="True" />

Add text and number fields

You use the FieldControl type to add plain text and number fields to a form. This attribute is also used to add pick lists; fields that are used to display person names, such as the Assigned To or Owner fields; and integer and real numbers. The field control must refer to a field by its reference name. The field label can be plain text or styled as a hyperlink. For more information, see Provide help text, hyperlinks, or web content on a work item form.

Text, Integer, and Pick List Fields

You can control the format of number fields and the maximum length of characters that can be entered in a text or number field by using the optional attributes that are described in the following table.

The following code lists the syntax that is used to create the group of fields that appears in the previous illustration.

<TABGROUP>
<TAB Label="Planning">
<Group Label="Status" Padding="(0,0,0,3)">
   <Column PercentWidth="100">
      <Control FieldName="Microsoft.DevDiv.Importance" Type="FieldControl" Label="Importance" LabelPosition="Left" />
      <Control FieldName="Microsoft.DevDiv.Commitment" Type="FieldControl" Label="Commitment / Confidence" LabelPosition="Left" />
      <Control FieldName="Microsoft.DevDiv.VisionDoc" Type="FieldControl" Label="Vision Doc" LabelPosition="Left" />
      <Control FieldName="Microsoft.DeveloperDivision.Features.EstimatedCost" Type="FieldControl" Label="Estimated Cost" LabelPosition="Left" />
      <Control FieldName="Microsoft.DevDiv.BusinessUnit" Type="FieldControl" Label="BU (Use Area Path)" LabelPosition="Left" />
      <Control FieldName="Microsoft.DevDiv.Website" Type="FieldControl" Label="Website" LabelPosition="Left" />
   </Column>
</Group>
   . . .
</TAB>
</TABGROUP>

Add formatted text fields

You use the HTMLFieldControl type to add fields whose data type is HTML. This control provides support to display formatted text over multiple lines.

HTML Field

<Control Type="HtmlFieldControl" FieldName="Microsoft.VSTS.ReproSteps" Label="Repro Steps"
LabelPosition="Top" MinimumSize="(100,500)" />

Add Date or Calendar fields

You use the DateTimeControl type to give users a calendar picker to select a date for a DateTime field. By using this control, you can quickly select a date and time for the field.

Calendar Field with Format="Short"

For example, you can specify a preferred start date or a review date that is in the future.

<Control Type="DateTimeControl" FieldName="MyCompany.EnvironmentCR.PreferredStart"
Label="Preferred Start Date:" LabelPosition="Left" Format="Short" />
<Control Type="DateTimeControl" FieldName="MyCompany.EnvironmentCR.PreferredStartTime"
Label="Preferred Start Time:" LabelPosition="Left" Format="Time" />

You can control the format of the DateTime field by using the optional attributes that are described in the following table.

Add fields for Area and Iteration paths

You use the WorkItemClassificationControl type to add fields whose data type is TreePath. This control provides support to display area path fields and iteration path fields in a hierarchical, nested tree format. The tree shows hierarchical nodes that you can expand and collapse.

<Control Type="WorkItemClassificationControl" FieldName="System.AreaPath" Label="Area"LabelPosition="Left" />

For more information, see Add and modify area and iteration paths.

See Also

Concepts

Add or modify work item fields to support reporting

Add the Attachments control

Define link controls to restrict link relationships

Other Resources

Provide help text, hyperlinks, or web content on a work item form