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Automated Azure DevOps Query Updates

9 posts · May 2014 – Apr 2023

What this trail covers

Azure DevOps has enhanced its Queries Hub to streamline query management and improve discoverability. New features include expanded directory pages with query metadata, keyword filtering, breadcrumb navigation, bookmarking of query folders, and a dedicated favorites dropdown. The '@CurrentIteration' macro has been updated to support team parameters and integer offsets for querying past and future sprints. The 'Save as' functionality now copies charts to new queries, and expanded work item detail views are available. This post details the internal implementation of the 'Backlog Priority' and 'Stack Rank' fields, explaining the 'sparsification' logic used to maintain order in large backlogs and the optimizations introduced in TFS 2013 Update 2 to improve performance by increasing the number range and refining gap-finding algorithms.

All Microsoft trails
  1. Use Power Automate to update Azure DevOps queriesThis post details the implementation of a Power Automate flow to automatically update Azure DevOps queries that contain sprint numbers. The flow uses the Azure DevOps connector to list queries within specified folders, retrieve their Work Item Query Language (Wiql) values via HTTP requests, and then programmatically update the sprint number within the Wiql string using string replacement functions. The updated Wiql is then sent back to Azure DevOps to update the query. The process involves setting up recurrence triggers, defining variables for sprint paths and numbers, looping through sprint folders and queries, and conditionally updating the Wiql based on whether the query path contains the previous, current, or next sprint name. It also includes escaping mechanisms for the Wiql string and a final check to ensure the Wiql has changed before sending the update request.
  2. Analytics For Azure DevOps Services is Now Generally AvailableAnnounced the general availability of Analytics features for Azure DevOps Services, including Analytics Widgets (Burndown/Burnup, Cycle Time/Lead Time, Cumulative Flow Diagram, Velocity, Test Results Trend) and the Top Failing Test Report. Power BI Integration and the OData Endpoint remain in preview. The Analytics marketplace extension will be deprecated for hosted customers. For Azure DevOps Server, Analytics remains in preview as an installable extension and will be GA in the next major release.
  3. Queries Hub Updates Generally AvailableThis post announces the general availability of the new Queries Hub in Azure DevOps, which consolidates and enhances existing query management features. Key improvements include expanded directory pages with new metadata, keyword filtering for query discovery, breadcrumb navigation for accessing queries within folders, bookmarking of query folders, and a favorites dropdown for quick access to frequently used queries. The "Save as" feature now copies charts to new queries, and expanded work item filter options are available on the results grid. Additionally, REST APIs now provide access to information about who last ran a query and when.
  4. @CurrentIteration, Team Parameter, OffsetThis post introduces significant updates to the '@CurrentIteration' macro in Azure DevOps work item queries. It now requires a team parameter, allowing queries to return consistent results regardless of team selection and enabling the referencing of different teams' iteration schedules within the same query. Additionally, an integer offset can be applied to '@CurrentIteration' to query for past or future sprints in a rolling window. Existing queries will prompt for saving changes to include the team parameter, while queries using the offset functionality will not run in older Visual Studio versions. Future improvements to macro functionality are also outlined.
  5. Automatic linking work items to buildsIntroduced a new feature for TFS 2017 Update 2 that automatically links builds with associated work items. This is achieved by leveraging two new link types: 'Integrated in build' (used by builds to link work items) and 'Found in build' (used by test tools to create new issues). The feature is enabled by toggling a setting in the build definition options and updating the work item type definition XML to include these new link types in the development link control.
  7. Visual Studio and Team Foundation Server Update 4 CTP 1 now availableThis post announces the release of Visual Studio 2013 Update 4 CTP 1, which brings several Team Foundation Server features to on-premises installations. Key additions include trend charts and aggregate data from work item queries with new chart types (Stacked Area, Area, and Line), the ability to move items to a specific position on the backlog, full-screen mode for backlog pages, search functionality for Area paths and iterations in Web Access, and the introduction of Pull Requests for Git repositories. It also details C++ performance improvements and GPU performance bottleneck analysis.
  8. Behind the scenes: the Backlog Priority or Stack Rank fieldThis post details the internal implementation of the 'Backlog Priority' and 'Stack Rank' fields used for ordering work items in Azure DevOps (TFS). It explains the 'sparsification' logic, which uses non-consecutive numbers to allow for efficient reordering of backlog items without updating all subsequent items. The post highlights performance issues observed with the previous 'halving logic' and the 'dust in the corners' problem, leading to dense top/bottom sections of the backlog. It then describes the optimizations introduced in TFS 2013 Update 2: increasing the upper bound to 2 billion, optimizing gap scanning, and improving the logic for generating new numbers to better utilize available gaps. The post also clarifies that the Backlog Priority field is a system field and recommends against manual updates, noting that while values may change after reordering, the item order remains consistent.