Visual Studio Data Tools 2015 with Team Explorer?

8
votes

I'm strictly a BI developer (Database projects, SSIS, etc). I'd like to use Team Explorer with my SQL Server Data Tools 2015 installation. I understand that there is not a stand-alone Team Explorer version for Visual Studio 2015. Is Microsoft really requiring us BI Devs to install the full-blown version of Visual Studio? It's awfully inconvenient.. What's the best option for people just needing Data Tools with the ability to connect to TFS?

3
tfsvisual-studio-2015
Which edition of VS 2015 are you using? - Cece Dong - MSFT
@Cece - MSFT : Not sure why the downvote... I'm not using an edition of VS per se.. I'm just using SQL Server Data Tools 2015 which uses the VS shell (msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/mt186501.aspx). "If you do not have Visual Studio 2015, SSDT preview will install Visual Studio 2015 Integrated shell and Visual Studio 2015 Isolated shell with limited feature support for SQL Server Database Projects." With previous editions of Data Tools, I could just install Data Tools and then install Team Explorer separately. It appears this is no longer the case for Data Tools 2015.. - Gabe
Did you manage to install team explorer? - Rogier Wijsman
@RogierWijsman the only solution is to install the free VS Community edition which contains Team Explorer (but is over 6gb). You can't install the Team Explorer add-in by itself. - Gabe
This is so annoying to install VS Full version just to use TFS features. Is it still the case or any alternative? - MSBI-Geek

3 Answers

4
votes

Try to find the package C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Common7\IDE\Extensions\TeamExplorer.vsix on another computer with already installed version of VS2015 with Team Explorer. It is about 47 Mb. Then copy it and install on the computer with the integrated shell. This approach has worked for me.

2
votes

Just try to install SQL Server Data Tools 2015 which uses the VS shell (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/mt186501.aspx), and confirmed this shell doesn't contain Team Explorer plug-in. If you want to use Visual Studio 2015, then install the free Visual Studio Community will be an option.

Otherwise, you may consider using TFS web portal, or the supported Team Explorer version that TFS 2015 supports, like Team Explorer 2013, etc.

0
votes

There is now a stand-alone Team Explorer installer for VS 2017. I recommend going that route so as to not install a bloated Visual Studio.

"When we shipped TFS 2017 and Visual Studio 2017, we didn’t provide a “Team Explorer” like solution. Historically our Team Explorer installer has been available for customers that want a rich client to access version control and some work item tracking features in TFS or VS Team Services. We didn’t release it because we needed to create a new version of it based on the new Visual Studio installer technology that was introduced in VS 2017 and we just didn’t have time to do that before we released. Along with the release of VS 2017.1 today, we are now releasing a Team Explorer installer."

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/bharry/2017/04/05/team-explorer-for-tfs-2017/