Using the XML File Converter Utility

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Visual Studio Team System Test Edition stores information and data in several XML documents. These documents must conform to the schema that is defined in an XSD file that is named TestTypes.xsd.

This XML schema changed between the release of Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Testers and the release of Visual Studio Team System 2008 Test Edition. For this reason, any XML documents that were created for Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Testers must be converted to the new format before they can be opened or used by Visual Studio Team System 2008 Test Edition.

You can convert these XML files in either of the following ways:

  • Open the solution in Visual Studio Team System 2008 Test Edition. When Visual Studio recognizes that the solution contains outdated files, it displays the Visual Studio Conversion Wizard. This wizard gives you the option of creating a backup of the files before converting them. When you click Finish, Visual Studio converts the files and opens the solution.

  • Convert the file explicitly by using the utility VSTST-FileConverter.exe.

XML Documents Used by the Test Tools

Visual Studio Team System 2008 Test Edition uses various XML documents, which include the following:

  • Test metadata file. This type of file has the extension .vsmdi. Test metadata files store information about the tests in your solution. For more information, see Reusing Tests.

  • Test results file. This type of file has the extension .trx. When you run tests, Visual Studio automatically saves test results to a .trx file. For more information, see How to: Export Test Results.

  • Test run configuration file. This type of file has the extension .testrunconfig. A test run configuration file contains settings that specify how test runs proceed. For more information, see How to: Specify a Test Run Configuration.

  • Certain test files. Ordered tests, generic tests, Web tests, and load tests are housed in XML files that have the extensions .orderedtest, .generictest, .webtest, and .loadtest, respectively. For more information, see Test Containers.

Using VSTST-FileConverter.exe

Use VSTST-FileConverter.exe to convert XML documents to the current format.

Syntax

VSTST-FileConverter.exe source-file [destination-file]

Usage Examples

  • The following command converts the file MyOrderedTest.orderedtest, which was created in Visual Studio 2005.

    VSTST-FileConverter.exe MyOrderedTest.orderedtest

  • The following command converts the file MyOrderedTest.orderedtest, which was created in Visual Studio 2005. The conversion process produces a new file that is named MyOrderedTest_New.orderedtest. The original ordered test file, MyOrderedTest.orderedtest, remains unaltered on disk.

    VSTST-FileConverter.exe MyOrderedTest.orderedtest MyOrderedTest_New.orderedtest

  • To obtain help for the VSTST-FileConverter.exe, type the following at a command line: 

    VSTST-FileConverter.exe /help