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Visual Studio & TFS 2010 – List of extensions and upgrades

This post is about VS 2010, go here for the VS/TFS 11 extensions.

UPDATED Oct 7th 2012:  New Visual Studio GDR

UPDATED Aug 31th 2012: New versions updated of ReSharper, NDepend, Web Essentials, Community Build Manager,  Code Contracts (March 2012), NuGet, ILSpy, DotPeek, Just Decompile, tangible T4 editor, LinqPad. Added the VersionInfo tool, so you know you have the latest update of VS 2010

UPDATED April 20th 2012: New version of NuGet manager. Added the GREAT ILSpy to the list.

UPDATED March 22nd 2012:  New GDR update of Visual Studio (Client) components. Added Community Build Manager.

UPDATED Feb 17th 2012: New version of ReSharper 6.1.1 and Code Contracts with Silverlight 5 support +++

UPDATED Feb 16th 2012:  Added Visual Studio and TFS Server 2010 SP1  Cumulative Update 2.

UPDATED Jan 9th 2012: New versions of Resharper, NuGet and Code Contracts.  Added link to a blog post by Grant Holiday on TFS/VS SP’s and hotfixes. Added link to CU4 for SQL 2008 R2 SP1.

UPDATED Dec 16th: New version of TFS Power tools, and NuGet

UPDATED Nov 28th: Added NuGet, new versions WebEssentials & Beyond Compare

UPDATED Nov 11th: Added the cloud update to Visual Studio which includes multistep test steps and bug fixes, updates to TFS and SQL, dotPeek, Test Attachment Cleaner and new version of our BuildExplorer, and of NDepend. Added Web Essentials.

UPDATED Aug 23rd & 26th: Added TFS SP1 Cumulative update 1. Fixes timeouts on source control. (26th: Fixed the link to the same)

UPDATED Aug 19th & 21st 2011: New version of the TFS Power tools released.  Some more suggestions from Adam fixed, Moles/Pex updates included.  

UPDATED Aug 8th 2011:  Two Visual Studio Testing tools Rollup updates added

UPDATED July 27th 2011: Adam Cogan suggested a different layout and information structure. 

This post is a list of the addins and extensions we (I ) recommend for use at Inmeta.  It’s coming up all the time – what to install, where are the download sites, last version, etc etc, and thus I thought it better to post it here and keep it updated. The basics are Visual Studio 2010 connected to a Team Foundation Server 2010. 

The list is more or less in priority order.

The focus is to get a setup which can be used for a complete coding experience for the whole ALM process.

The list of course reflects what I use for my work , so it is by no means complete, and for some of the tools there are equally useful alternatives.  The components directly associated with Visual Studio from Microsoft should be common, see the Microsoft column.

Also be sure to check out  Grant’s blogpost – it contains a complete description of what to install and in what sequence for the different TFS layers.

Components for VS 2010

ProductNotesLatest VersionLicenseApplicable toMicrosoft
TFS Power Tools December 20111 December 2011 (10.0.41206.0)FreeTFS integrationYes
ReSharperTrial only7.0.1 (1098.2760)LicensedCoding & QualityNo
Productivity Power Tools1 10.0.20626.18FreeCodingYes
Inmeta Build Explorer1 1.1.8FreeTFS integrationNo
Build ManagerCommunity Build Manager.  Info from Jakob here.1.4.0.6FreeTFS IntegrationNo
Version Info1.0.3FreeVisual StudioNo
Code Contracts 1.4.50327.1FreeCoding & QualityYes
Code Contracts Editor Extensions1 1.4.40602.0FreeCoding & QualityYes
Power Commands1 1.0.2.3FreeCodingYes
NuGet Package Manager1If upgrading fails, there is a signature mismatch  between this and the former version you have preventing upgrading. Uninstall the former first, and then install the new one.2.0.30625.9003FreeCodingYes
Web Std Update1 1.0.4FreeCoding (Web)Yes (MSFT)
Web Essentials 1 2.7FreeCoding (Web)Yes (MSFT)
FeaturePack 2 2Found in MSDN Subscriber download under Visual Studio 2010FP2Part of MSDN SubscriptionModeling & TestingYes
Test Attachment Cleaner1 1.0FreeTestingYes
ILSpyDecompiler. Can also export assembly as C# project2.1.0.1603FreeCoding/InvestigationNo
DotPeek 1.0.0.8644FreeCoding/InvestigationNo
Just Decompile 2012.2.607FreeCoding/InvestigationNo
Beyond Compare 3.3.4 (build 14431)LicensedCoding/InvestigationNo
dotTrace 4.5.1LicensedQualityNo
NDependTrial only4.0.2.6750LicensedQualityNo
tangible T4 editor1 2.0.2Lite version Free (Good enough)Coding (T4 templates)No
Pex and Moles
Moles x861
Moles x641
Complete package found in MSDN Subscriber download under Visual Studio 20100.94.51023Part of MSDN Subscription
License information here
Coding & Unit TestingYes
LinqPad 4.42.1LicensedCodingNo
ApexSQL  LicensedSQLNo
VSCommands1 10.3.9.12Lite version Free (Good enough)CodingNo

#1 Get via Visual Studio’s Tools | Extension Manager (or The Code Gallery).  (From Adam : All these are auto updated by the Extension Manager in Visual Studio)

#2 Works with ultimate only

Upgrades and patches for VS/TFS 2010

Go to Grant’s blogpost to see a complete list of patches and updates for installing TFS and VS. His post details what to install and where, and covers all updates and patches you need to handle, and also links to relevant documentation.

ProductNotesDateApplicable toFile version number
VS 2010 SP1 GDRAdds compatibility support for VS 2012 and Windows 8 for the test tools and VS 2010.  Cumulative update. See info here  KB2736182 and on the ALM blog.  Now delivered through Windows Update.Sept 2012Visual Studio, MTM,10.0.40219.415
VS 2010 SP1 TFS11 Compatibility GDRFor the client components this upgrade replaces all client fixes from CU2, so can be installed directly on top of SP1. Info here KB2662296. Fixes certain problems related to connecting to TFS 11 for the MTM and the Test Controllers.March 2012Visual Studio, MTM, Test Ctrls10.0.40219.383
TFS and VS 2010 SP1 CU2Important:  This CU2 should be applied to both the TFS server and the Visual Studio/MTM clients, even if the title wrongly mentions only the server. It is stated further down in small letters in the KB2643415  It contains all code for CU1 and for the GDR.Feb 2012Visual Studio, MTM AND TFS Server 
TFS 2010 Hotfix KB2608743This hotfix can reduce the size of the test data saved to the TFS.  See Anu’s blog here and KB2608743 details here.Oct 2011Visual Studio, MTM, Test Ctrls.Build Agent 
SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 Cumulative Update 4  – or –
SQL Server 2008 R2 Cumulative Update 10
 
This update should be applied before using the Test Attachment Cleaner. The TAC may leave ghost records in the database due to a bug in the SQL Server.   See Anu’s blog here and more info here.Oct 2011/Dec 2011SQL Server 2008 R2 (SP1 and pre-SP1) 
Visual Studio 2010 SP1 TFS Compatibility GDRVisual Studio update to access a TFS 11 server and Team Foundation services preview, TFS in the cloud.  Includes some bug fixes and adds multiline test step support for the MTM. See Brian Harry’s blog here and KB2581206.Oct 2011Visual Studio 
TFS 2010 SP1 Cumulative Update 1See KB2580221 and Brian Harry’s blog here and hereAug 2011TFS 
Visual Studio SP1 Rollup Update 2A rollup update for the SP1 Testing tools, KB2443428.  See more info blog here and details hereAug 2011Visual Studio Testing tools 
Visual Studio SP1 Rollup Update 1A rollup update for the SP1 Testing tools, KB2544407.  See more info blog here and details hereJune 2011Visual Studio Testing tools 
Visual Studio SP1SP1 contains all earlier patches + a lot of new fixes
See Brian Harry’s blog for information on what to install and how. Also contains links to a lot of the stuff to install.
Be aware of this potential problem and workaround if you are using C++ and W7 SDK
March 2011Visual Studio 
TFS 2010 SP1SP1 for the TFS server.March 2011TFS 
2010 SP1 fix for accessing TFS 2008 KB2522890See info here    (Aug 23rd: Included in SP1 Cumulative Update 1, see above)March 2011Visual Studio with TFS 2008 
     

Some important earlier Patches, upgrades and fixes  (pre-SP1)

ProductNotesDateApplicable to
Scrolling context menu KB2345133 and KB2413613Here  Solve the problem with having a small/short context menu with scroll bars, which is much smaller than the available screen height. After the fix, the context menu uses all available screen height before scroll bars are added.October 2010Visual Studio
MTM PatchHere and here  KB2387011  Recommended (if you use MTM)October 2010MTM
Data warehouse fixIteration dates fails with SQL 2008 R2.  KB2222312. Affects Burndown chart in Agile workbook.  Only for SQL 2008 R2June 2010Server
Upgrade 2008 to 2010 issue and hotfixFixes problems with labels and branches which are lost during upgrade. Apply before upgrade. Note: This has been fixed in the latest re-release of the TFS Server dated Aug 5th 2010. See here. Recommends downloading the latest bits. Only if upgrade from 2008 from earlier bitsAugust 2010Server
This article is part of the GWB Archives. Original Author: Terje Sandstrom

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