Remove TFS GlobalList using TFS ExtendedClient API

Question

I tried to remove a GLOBALLIST from GLOBALLIST xml data and then tried to import the updated xml data to tfs server but nothing get updated using below line of code.[ no error is throwing ]

store.ImportGlobalLists(collectionGlobalListRoot.InnerXml);

Note: here store is WorkItemStore and collectionGlobalListRoot is the XMLDocument contains entire updated globallist xml of collection.

Addition of GlobalList is working fine here.

I am wondering do i have to use any different mechanism to destroy a globallist via API?

Any help would be highly appreciated.

Answer 1

Usually the normal flow of modify Global list is export the Global List XML, modify the XML and import it back.

However, deleting a Global List is not possible. Because the Import/Export methods are set up in a way that you can also add or update 1 list instead of everything, you can never delete a list. If you don't send the XML of the particular list, it is not updated.

For deleting/destroying the Global list you need to create a special XML package that you can send to the SendUpdatePackge method of the WorkItemStore object. Sample code as below:

   string globalListName = "Test Global List";

   XmlElement returnElement;
   XmlDocument root = new XmlDocument();

   //Create a package element
    XmlElement newChild = root.CreateElement("Package");
    root.AppendChild(newChild);

   //Create a Destroy Global List element
  XmlElement element2 = root.CreateElement("DestroyGlobalList");
  element2.SetAttribute("ListName", "*" + globalListName);
  element2.SetAttribute("ForceDelete", true.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
  newChild.AppendChild(element2);

  //Send Update to Work Item Store
  store.SendUpdatePackage(newChild, out returnElement, false);

More details please refer this blog: Deleting (or destroying) a Global List with the TFS API

Answer 2

You can use InternalAdmin.DestroyGlobalList() method to delete global list.

public static void DestroyGlobalList(Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.Client.WorkItemStore store, string globalListName, bool force)

Member of Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.Client.InternalAdmin

Summary: Destroys the passed in Global list.

Parameters: store: force: Destroy the lists even if they are in use. globalListNames:

Code for your reference:

using System;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Client;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.Client;

namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string url = "http://xxx:8080/tfs/CollectionName/";
            string GlobalListName = "ListName";
            TfsTeamProjectCollection ttpc = new TfsTeamProjectCollection(new Uri(url));
            WorkItemStore wis = ttpc.GetService<WorkItemStore>();
            InternalAdmin.DestroyGlobalList(wis, GlobalListName, false);
        }
    }
}