New feature in Visual Studio 11 Preview Microsoft Feedback Manager

Now, there is a very powerful tool called Microsoft Feedback Manager released with MTM 11 Preview, this feature enable customer or product owner or what ever anyone interested to give feedback on the product or on the implemented user stories

This feature like the MTM, it will record the session that run and can get feedback with the result to the team so they can consider this feedback in the project, really it is a very nice feature and it will help to increase the product quality, till now it’s part of the Visual Studio 11 Preview but I think it will be separated for licence wise

• The story begin with email sent to the person that need his/her feedback with, instructions to install the tool and any needed software (like Expression Encoder 4 which will be needed for video recording), and link to the product that being need the feedback, it will include also the user name and the password for log in if needed
• The feedbacker will open Microsoft Feedback Manager and open the link of the product that has the new user stories
• He/she will start to try the user stories and this will be recorded (video, audio, screen capture and actions)
• He/she will write the comments that he/she want
• Submit the feedback to TFS
• Browse for old submitted feedback

So let’s see the steps

Open Microsoft Feedback Manager 11 Preview

Record your actions

Write a comments

Submit your feedback

New enhancement in MTM 11 Preview

There are very good enhancements in MTM (Microsoft Test Manager) 11 Preview, I will describe 3 of them

• Change the screenshot annotation tool
• Audio Recording
• Exploratory testing without test cases

• Change the screenshot annotation tool

Now when you take a screen capture while test runner (TR) usage, this capture will be opened by default in the Microsoft paint, for editing and any modification we will made will be saved to the attachment it self (WOW) not only this but also we can change the default editing tool according to our favorite tool, so I used to use SnagIt, so I change the screenshot editing tool to be SnagIt.

Open MTM 11 Preview

Add a new plan

Open settings and browse to the SnagIt folder

Select SnagIt.exe and mark the checkbox for “After taking the snapshot…..”

Start the TR (Test Run) and take a screenshot capture

The SnagIt will open edit the image and save it, you will notice that the edition is saved with the attachment

====================================================

• Audio Recording

Now you can audio record so the tester can add any comments with voice to the bug or the TR(Test Run), you can also mute or unmute the audio record at any point in time while TR is working

====================================================

• Exploratory testing without test cases

Now you don’t need to create a fake test case to run Exploratory testing, you just open the run tab and you will find new 2 items, Do Exploratory Testing and View Exploratory Test Sessions

So now you just need choose which user stories you want to run the Exploratory test against or even not to choose anyone and click explorer and the TR (Test Runner) will start without need to test case like the old MTM (2010)

We will notice also that we have create test case button in the TR (Test Runner) that we can make a test case directly

After you run some Exploratory sessions we can open the View Exploratory Sessions at any point of time to analysis the Exploratory session runs

A Comparison of Visual Studio 11 Beta Editions

Microsoft announce that Feb 29th 2012 will be the release for Visual Studio and TFS 11 beta,  they publish a comparison of the different between Visual Studio 11 beta editions.

We will find very excited features like “Windows 8 Metro Style Simulator” and “Windows Phone 7 Emulator” that will be available for all edition (Ultimate, Premium, Professional) , there are many other new feature that seems amazing, we really waiting this release.

For complete comparison of all features, see the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/features-chart

There is also good news about release TFS Express for free that will include

• Source Code Control
• Work Item Tracking
• Build Automation
• Agile Taskboard
• and more…

TFS Express has some limitation

• No Sharepoint integration, no reporting
• Is limited to no more than 5 named users.
• Only supports SQL Server Express Edition (which we’ll install for you, if you don’t have it)
• Can only be installed on a single server (no multi-server configurations)
• Includes the Agile Taskboard but not sprint/backlog planning or feedback management.
• Excludes the TFS Proxy and the new Preemptive analytics add-on.

Fore more informationm you can visit the following link:

Comming Soon TFS Express

Create a VHD and add it to the Boot menu using bcdedit command

Let’s list the steps

1. Create a VHD from Disk Management
2. Or create a VHD from Command line using diskpart command
3. Attach the VHD if you already have an existing VHD using Disk Management
4. Or attach VHD using Command line
5. Copy a BCD entry and edit it according to the new value

• Create a VHD from Disk Managment

We can create the VHD from the Disk Management from computer management, see the following link

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/566-virtual-hard-disk-create-attach-vhd.html

• Or create VHD from Command line using diskpart command

create vdisk file=”D:\pathToVhd.vhd” type=expandable maximum=maxsizeInMegabyte

For more information see the following link

Windows 7 – VHD Boot – Setup Guideline

• Attach the VHD if you already have an existing VHD using Disk Management

You can see the first link

• Or attach VHD using Command line

diskpart
select vdisk file=c:\windows7.vhd
attach vdisk
list volume
select volume <volume_number_of_attached_VHD>
assign letter=v
exit

• Copy a BCD entry and edit it according to the new value

First we will see the existing entries by command bcdedit, this will list all existing entries, then we will select the entry for the same windows for example I will select the entry of windows 7 and copy it and then change it’s value to the new value, remember that we used the GUID to do this

bcdedit /copy {originalguid} /d "New Windows 7 Installation"
bcdedit /set {newguid} device vhd=[D:]\Image.vhd
bcdedit /set {newguid} osdevice vhd=[D:]\Image.vhd
bcdedit /set {newguid} detecthal on

Fore more information about bcedit command see the following link
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2676-bcdedit-how-use.html

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd799299(v=ws.10).aspx

Snapshots from my session in Microsoft Open Door Event 2012

These are some snapshots from my session in Microsoft Open Door Event 2012.

It’s the first time on the stage, in spite of I give many consultation and session in Egypt, KSA, Kuwait and Libya but actually standing on the stage is really different!!! , it was really good experiences to doing this

Again thanks Hosam and Ayman for this trust, I want also to thank Ahmed Nasr, my partner on the stage and the session, it’s really good to have someone like Ahmed in the session because when you feel that there is another one very professional with you like Nasr you will feel very confidant, so really thanks Nasr for your support and help

      

For more photos click on the following link

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=4bcaa16d27b46600&id=4BCAA16D27B46600%211942

Being a public speaker in Microsoft Open Door Event 2012

I have been chosen by Microsoft to deliver a session about TFS 2010 at the next Microsoft Open Door Event 2012, I really want to thank MEA ALM Community for this trust and thanks Ayman Elhatab so much and very special thanks for Hosam Kamel

The Agenda will be as the following:

For more information about the Event, you can visit the following link

https://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/EventDetail.aspx?culture=en-EG&EventID=1032504325&IO=2oMqY421dL2hmTyn9STbNw%3d%3d