Check out TFS files directly from SQL Server Management Studio

The other day I explained how to configure the external tools feature of Edit Pad Pro to allow direct checking out of files from TFS.

Today I did the same thing in SQL Server Management Studio.

Configuring TFS Checkout in SQL Server Management Studio

Here are pictorial instructions:

Command: we are using the environment variable created by VS2012 to provide a generic path to the TF.exe command line tool. If you are not using VS2012, open a command prompt, type "set" and see which path is closest. Alternatively, just put in the absolute path to tf.exe.

If you do not have Visual Studio at all you can install the standalone Team Explorer for Visual Studio 2012 which includes tf.exe.

Arguments: we are passing the "checkout" command to tf.exe with a parameter of the full path to the .sql file we are working on.

Use Output window: this is optional but it will show you the information returned by the tf.exe command line tool.

Using the External Tool

This is simple. The tool item you just created now shows up in the Tools menu. Just click it and it will checkout the current file you have open in the IDE.

Last Words

There is a small annoyance: SSMS will try to save all unsaved files before running the external tool. In this case, if we've modified the file then it will try and save over a Read-only file, causing it to try and Save As to a new file name.

I believe this is a bug in SSMS, or a well-intentioned, yet obstructive feature. I can't see a way to disable this behaviour. Just press Escape to avoid this - the external tool will then run.

Let me know in the comments if you need any more information!