vss-web-extension-sdk

Visual Studio Services Web Extension SDK

Overview

This repository contains core client SDK script files and TypeScript declare files needed for developing Visual Studio Team Services Extensions.

The core SDK script, VSS.SDK.js, enables extensions to communicate to the host Team Services frame and to perform operations like initializing, notifying extension is loaded or getting context about the current page.

A previous version of the SDK was named ```vss-sdk``. Make sure to switch to the new vss-web-extension-sdk name.

Get the SDK

Bower

1. Download and install Node.js
2. Install Bower (npm install -g bower)
3. Run bower install vss-web-extension-sdk from a command line

From your extension's HTML page, add a reference to the imported SDK script. For example:

 <script src="bower_components/vss-sdk/lib/VSS.SDK.min.js"></script>

NPM

Alternatively, the SDK is available via NPM. Run npm install vss-web-extension-sdk \

Use the SDK

Next step is initializing the extension using two options below:

1. Implicit handshake

     // Initialize
     VSS.init({
   	  usePlatformScripts: true, 
   	  usePlatformStyles: true
     });
     
     // Register callback to get called when initial handshake completed
     VSS.ready(function() {
   	  // Start using VSS
     });
   

2. Explicit handshake

     // Initialize with explicitNotifyLoaded set to true 
     VSS.init({
         explicitNotifyLoaded: true,
   	  usePlatformScripts: true, 
   	  usePlatformStyles: true
     });
     
     // Perform some async operation here
     doSomeAsyncStuff().then(
         function(result) {
             // Succeeded
             VSS.notifyLoadSucceeded();
             
             // Start using VSS
         },
         function(error) {
             // Failed
             VSS.notifyLoadFailed(error);
         });
   

Full API reference of VSS.SDK.js can be found at Core Client SDK page.

Types

• Types of VSS.SDK.js, controls and client services are available in typings/vss.d.ts.
• REST Client types for VSTS are available in typings/tfs.d.ts
• REST Client and extensibility types for Release Management are available in typings/rmo.d.ts

Dependencies

Dependency graph for the types:

Using tsd

Although TypeScript declare files do not exist at DefinitelyTyped repo, they can still be used through tsd.

1. First, make sure that the dependencies are loaded using below command:

• tsd install jquery knockout q --save

1. Next, run below command to get vss-web-extension-sdk types added to tsd.d.ts:

• tsd link

1. Finally, add only reference to typings/tsd.d.ts in your TypeScript files.