TFS API BranchObjectCreated Event does not fire

Question

I have some code to automate the creation of build definitions in TFS.

Now I'd like to have this code invoked whenever a branch is created.

Looking at the API, I see that there is a BranchObjectCreatedEvent in Microsoft.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.Client.VersionControlServer.

So I've added some code to a console app to handle the event.

    private static void MonitorBranchCreated()
    {
        try
        {
            TfsTeamProjectCollection tfs = InitialiseTfs();

            var vcs = tfs.GetService<VersionControlServer>();

            var projects = vcs.GetAllTeamProjects(true);

            foreach (var project in projects)
            {
                project.VersionControlServer.BranchObjectCreated += BranchObjectCreated;
            }

            Console.WriteLine("Subscribed to TFS BranchObjectCreated Event - Awaiting Notification...");
            Console.ReadLine();
        }
        catch (Exception exception)
        {
            DisplayError(exception);
        }
    }

    private static void BranchObjectCreated(object sender, BranchObjectCreatedEventArgs e)
    {
        // Create the Build
    }

The trouble is that the event never fires when I create a branch from Source Control Explorer in Visual Studio.

The MSDN documentation is limited and I can't find any other examples of usage so I'm hoping somebody might be able to tell me if this is the correct approach.

If so, why might the event not be firing? If not, is there another way I can hook into TFS so that I can handle events related to creation of branches?

Answer 1

When you hook up events to the client API, you only get events that were created by that client. If you were to hook up a BranchObjectCreated listener, then call VersionControlServer.CreateBranch(), then your branch object created listener would be called.

If you want to listen to events on the server (such as when somebody else creates a branch, or you create a branch from a different client), then you need to tie into the server's project alert system.

You can install the Alerts Explorer in the Team Foundation Server Power Tools that will allow you to configure fine-grained alerts on projects that will send you email or call a web method. At this point, you can create a new build that references this new branch.