How can I open the TFS changeset details dialog view using a Visual Studio add-in?

Question

I have a specific artifact in TFS, say changeset "123", which has the URI "vstfs:///VersionControl/Changeset/123". I realized that the link "http://tfs:8080/tfs/web/UI/Pages/Scc/ViewChangeset.aspx?changeset=123" will open the changeset detail view using the web-browser.

What I would like to do is open the changeset detail view inside visual studio. The place where I am embedding this is a custom section inside the build summary. I implemented this custom section as a VisualStudio Plugin. Here is a picture:

The section "Release Build" is custom-made and will provide information about an email that will be send to everyone, once such a build is released.

The Changeset 627 inside this section is a Button control that has automatically been transformed into a link. The "Click"-Handler behind the button works. The code currently looks like this:

...
string link = buildDetailView.TeamProjectCollection.Uri.AbsoluteUri.Substring(0, buildDetailView.TeamProjectCollection.Uri.AbsoluteUri.LastIndexOf('/'));
link += "/web/UI/Pages/Scc/ViewChangeset.aspx?changeset=";
link += ((Button)sender).Content;

Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo(link));
e.Handled = true;
...

This code will open a new Browser tab and show the correct page. However, I would like it to open the changeset detail inside Visual Studio. Just like the button at the bottom in section "Associated Changesets" does. When you click on the link "Changeset 627", it will open that changeset inside Visual Studio.

EDIT 1

It may be a bit clearer what exactly the desired outcome is, if I post a picture of it. The "Changeset Details" Window is what I would like to open using the API.

Answer 1

Take a look at the following blog posts:

• Ed Hintz: How to write a Team Foundation Version Control Add-In for Visual Studio
• Brian Harry: Working on TFS SDK improvements and TFSAddin.zip sample code (ZIP file includes a doc on the API as well)

Essentially, you need references to the following assemblies:

 Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Client
 Microsoft.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.Client
 Microsoft.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.Controls
 Microsoft.VisualStudio.TeamFoundation
 Microsoft.VisualStudio.TeamFoundation.Client
 Microsoft.VisualStudio.TeamFoundation.VersionControl

Then you can use VersionControlExt.ViewChangesetDetails(int changesetId) to display a specific changeset from your add-in:

VersionControlExt vce;
vce = _applicationObject.GetObject("Microsoft.VisualStudio.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.VersionControlExt") as VersionControlExt;
vce.ViewChangesetDetails(changesetId);

This brings up a dialog that shows the user all the details about a particular changeset. (It is the same dialog that appears if the user selects "Details..." in the "Find Changesets" dialog.)