VSTS REST API for creating TFVC Branch

Question

I am trying to automate some of my build related tasks, which includes creating new release branch and build definitions for each release. I use VSTS TFVC for version management. When i am trying to do it with TFS REST API, i couldn't find any API for creating branch (microsoft documentation).

I can see .NET API available to do this; unable to find one as REST API.

Answer 1

No such a REST API to create branch for now, I have submitted a user voice here to suggest the feature, you can go and vote it up to achieve that in future.

As a workaround you can try below ways to create a branch in code or script:

• Just as @Shayki mentioned you can use Client Object Model Reference if you want to manage the Version Control programmatically. Just use the "CreateBranch()" method in Microsoft.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.Client.VersionControlServer class to create a branch.
• Besides, you can also use the Branch Command to create a branch.

---

tf branch olditem newitem [/version:versionspec] [/noget] [/lock:(none|checkin|checkout)] [/noprompt] [/silent] [/checkin] [/comment:("comment"|@commentfile)] [/author:authorname] [/login:username, [password]] [/recursive]

Answer 2

Just as what you see in "Branches" page, there isn't any way to create branch with the Rest API. And mostly, you can only read/get the information with the Version Control API for now.

If you don't want use C#, you can automate the process with Powerhshell:

param(

)
begin
{
 # load the required dll's
    [void][System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Client")
    [void][System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.Client")   
}

process
{
 $server = New-Object Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Client.TeamFoundationServer("http://tfsserver:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection")

 $vcServer = $server.GetService([Microsoft.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.Client.VersionControlServer]); 

 $changesetId = $vcServer.CreateBranch('$/Demo/Code/Main', '$/Demo/Code/Dev/Branch', [Microsoft.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.Client.VersionSpec]::Latest, $null, "New branch from script", $null, $null, $null)

 "Branch created with ChangesetID: $changesetId"
}