vsts process template modifications

Here's a little tidbit that might come in handy if you find yourself modifying a process template for Visual Studio Team System. Say you're going to add a new field to a work item type. Seems simple enough. You step through it until you're faced with a dialog box for the newfield. Each required field on the dialog box seems self explanatory, except for RefName.

What the heck is a RefName?

There is no help on the dialog box. The next logical thing is to look for an example to help you out. You click cancel on the input box and look at the list of RefNames for the pre-existing fields. Those certainly look like namespaces to me. So, what is the name space to use for this new field? Is it based on field type? Is it a control namespace?

Maybe it was a lack of coffee that morning, but for some reason it stumped me for a few minutes. I'm sure you've all figured it out already, but just in case you haven't, here's the answer. The key is that it is a namespace, and just like any other namespace you create for your code, you simply create your own. YourCompanyName.FieldName is a good start. Pick a namespace that makes sense not only for this field, but one that can be used for future additions. Once you've decided on the namespace, simply type it into the text box and off you go.