Last week, at TechEd North America, Microsoft announced the availability of a new API being provided by Visual Studio Online. This API is based on REST, OAuth, JSON, and Service Hooks. While this new API is still in preview mode there is still a lot of functionality that can be taken advantage of by your custom applications.
While a great deal of documentation is being provided by Microsoft, I and Mike Douglas (a fellow Visual Studio ALM MVP) have started writing a book on this very topic titled “Extending Team Foundation Server and Visual Studio Online”. The primary focus of this book will be to provide scenario-based examples on how to utilize the new REST-based APIs and Service Hooks. Based on our everyday experiences with TFS and Visual Studio Online, along with feedback from our readers, we plan to provide a book that will be simply indispensible for anyone wishing to extend TFS or Visual Studio Online using the new API.
Our intention is to release the book in stages, as we complete new chapters. As of this posting, we are officially making the initial version available with planned releases roughly every two weeks – until the initially defined table of contents has been completed. This model will also allow us to address changes and updates to the API as Microsoft moves from preview to release.
To accommodate the phased release, we will be publishing the book as an eBook in PDF, ePub, and MOBI formats. The initial cost of the book will be $1.99 and the price of the book will gradually increase as we release new content. Once you purchase the book, you will get all future releases at no additional charge. So, the earlier you buy in, the better the price!
The initial table of contents for the book is as follows (though subject to change):
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Part I – The Basics
- Chapter 1: Overview of Team Foundation Server
- Chapter 2: A History of Team Foundation Server APIs
- Chapter 3: A REST Primer
- Part II – Using the Team Foundation APIs
- Chapter 4: Our First REST API Call
- Chapter 5: Work Items
- Chapter 6: Team Foundation Version Control
- Chapter 7: Git
- Chapter 8: Build Definitions
- Chapter 9: Builds
- Chapter 10: Workspaces
- Chapter 11: Team Room Management
- Chapter 12: Team Room Activities
- Chapter 13: Reporting and Charts
- Chapter 14: Projects and Teams
- Chapter 15: Service Hooks
- Part III – Other Resources
- Chapter 16: Using Fiddler
- Chapter 17: Using OAuth
- Resources
The chapters listed in bold have been at least partially completed and are included in the initial release of the book.
If you have an interest in extending Team Foundation Server and/or Visual Studio Online, then this is (will be) the book for you. Purchasing the book now locks in all future updates for only $1.99!
You can read more about the book and purchase it here. Please utilize the feedback section on the book site if you have any questions and/or suggestions. We welcome any and all feedback – especially if it helps us to provide a better, and more useful, book for everyone.
Awesome! Congratulations