Work Items Export

A VSIX extension for Azure DevOps Server 2022 (on-premises) that exports a team backlog level or a saved query to CSV or Excel — with a configurable column set, native-style filters, rollup sums, and shareable templates.

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Why

Azure DevOps Server's backlog has no "export to file" action, and the columns that matter most — the "Sum of …" rollup columns — are computed live in the UI and never stored on the work item. Work Items Export adds a Boards hub that renders the backlog (or a query) itself, so what you see is exactly what you download — including rollups, hierarchy, and your chosen columns.

It is read-only (scopes vso.work, vso.project, vso.identity) and runs entirely in the browser using the signed-in user's token — it can never modify or damage your data, and each user only ever sees the projects/work items they already have access to.

Features

• Source — a team backlog level (Epics / Features / Stories) or an existing saved query (My / Shared). The query list is refreshable and expands deep folders.
• Native tree view — the backlog renders as an expandable hierarchy (Epic → Feature → User Story → Tasks) with ▸/▾ chevrons and indentation, just like the native backlog.
• Exact match — the backlog-level set comes from the same authoritative endpoint the native backlog uses, so the counts agree (5 User Stories → 5 rows). A Work Item Type selector restricts the level to one type (e.g. only User Story, dropping Use Case / Requirement that share the requirement category).
• Export scope — toggle between exporting the visible tree (whole hierarchy) or level only (just the selected backlog-level items).
• Columns — pick any process field (including custom fields), with search. Plus computed/online columns that aren't stored on the work item:
  • Sum of <field> rolled up over the descendant subtree, optionally scoped to a work item type — e.g. Sum of Task Original Estimate / Sum of Task Completed Work, matching the native rollup columns.
  • Count of children (all / closed — closed detection is locale-aware).
  • Parent, hierarchy path, and level.
• Filters — a native-style filter bar: free-text search plus per-column dropdowns (Work Item Type, State, Value Area, Iteration Path, Tags, Assigned To). Filters apply to the grid and the export ("download what you see").
• Templates — save a source + column set as a reusable, named template (optional description), reload it in one click, and share it with specific collection users. A searchable manager keeps it tidy at scale.
• Export — CSV (UTF-8 BOM, formula-injection hardened) or Excel (.xlsx). Preview shows the first 500 rows; the file always contains every matching row.
• Theme-aware — adapts to light / dark / high-contrast via Azure DevOps theme variables.

Install

Build the VSIX and upload it to your collection's local gallery ({server}/_gallery/manage), then install it for the collection. The hub appears under Boards → Work Items Export.

npm install
npm run package   # -> out/local.workitems-export-<version>.vsix

Prebuilt .vsix files are attached to each GitHub release.

Scopes: vso.work, vso.project, vso.identity (the last powers the template-sharing user search). Template storage uses the in-page Extension Data Service, which needs no extra manifest scope. Do not declare vso.extension_data — Azure DevOps Server rejects mixing it (a "modern" scope) with the uri-based vso.* scopes.

Usage

1. Open Boards → Work Items Export.
2. Choose a source: Backlog (Project → Team → level) or Query (pick a saved query), then Load.
3. Adjust Columns (toolbar popover) — toggle fields, add type-scoped rollup sums.
4. Optionally open the Filter bar to narrow the rows.
5. Download CSV or Download Excel — the file matches the filtered grid.
6. Save the setup as a Template to reuse or share it later.

Templates & sharing

Templates store the source selection + visible columns (never work item data). They are personal by default; the owner can share a template with specific users at any time. Because sharing requires another user to read it, templates live in the extension's collection-scoped store and visibility is filtered client-side — this is "soft" privacy (no per-document server ACL), which is appropriate for an internal admin tool.

Troubleshooting

• "Failed to initialize … Error issuing session token: HostAuthorizationNotFound" — on Azure DevOps Server an in-place update doesn't refresh the host OAuth authorization, so getAccessToken() fails. Fix: fully uninstall the extension, then install the new .vsix fresh. A clean install re-creates the host authorization.
• Stale UI after a new build — each build emits a content-hashed bundle; a version bump + clean install always serves the latest code (no manual cache clearing).
• A control or column looks off in a theme — the UI uses Azure DevOps theme variables; please open an issue with a screenshot.

Development

npm test            # jest (106 tests)
npx tsc --noEmit    # type check
npm run build       # webpack production -> dist/
npm run package     # build + tfx -> out/local.workitems-export-<version>.vsix

Stack: TypeScript 5, React 16 (pinned by azure-devops-ui peer deps), azure-devops-ui (core CSS only), xlsx, webpack, jest. src/hub.tsx is the only SDK-aware file; everything else takes an injected ApiClient and is unit-tested with fixtures. Pure functions (RollupService, TableBuilder, ExportService, filter) carry most of the test weight.

How it works

ExportOrchestrator ties it together: the source yields work item ids → a recursive WIQL expands the descendant tree → fields are fetched via GET _apis/wit/workitems (errorPolicy=omit, chunked) → RollupService computes sums/counts/hierarchy → TableBuilder assembles the table → filter narrows it → ExportService writes CSV/xlsx.

Known limitations

• Preview is capped at 500 rows (the downloaded file is not).
• Rollups follow hierarchy (Child) links only.
• "Closed child count" uses the process's Completed-category states; if they can't be read it falls back to a fixed English set (Closed / Done / Completed).
• Template sharing targets individual users — sharing with a group does not expand to its members (add each person individually).
• Tag filter matches a whole tag token (use free-text search for partial matches).

Contributing

Contributions are welcome — see CONTRIBUTING.md for setup, conventions (TDD, theme-aware styling, read-only scopes), and the PR/release process.

License

MIT