Page 1 Getting Started with Microsoft Teams for Developers

Page 1 Getting Started with Microsoft Teams for Developers

Page 1 | Getting started with Microsoft Teams – for developers

Getting started with Microsoft Teams – for developers

IT Showcase Article

microsoft.com/itshowcaseAugust 2017

Page 1 | Getting started with Microsoft Teams – for developers

Microsoft Teams is a chat-based workspace in Office 365 that integrates with apps and services that teams use to get work done together. Microsoft teams has features and tools that make it easy for developers to integrate their own services, such as custom apps to SaaS applications, as well as developer tools like VSTS.

Collaborating in Teams

With Microsoft Teams you can create a work space for your developer teams that has all their frequently used tools in one place and the ability for them to collaborate in real-time from anywhere.

Have conversations. The Conversation tab available in channels can be used to discuss tasks using persistent chat, which allows team members to collaborate quickly, across time zones, and message each other, even when one party is temporarily unavailable. Conversations are automatically saved and can be reviewed at any time to help offline team members quickly get caught up and provide context.

Bug and user story resolution. Discuss bugs with chat, share release notes and wireframes, and add quick access to VSTS.

Daily Standup meetings. Use the Conversations tab to have scheduled and ad-hoc meetings. Conversations are automatically saved and can viewed at any time. Use the Wiki tab for meeting minutes, brainstorming, or whiteboarding.

Empower DevOps. With the chat, files, and tabs features, Teams provides a place for common activities, such as sprint planning, managing work items, triaging live site issues, and project management. Users can even add a tab for Microsoft Planner.

Markdown

For formatting text in conversations and chats, Microsoft Teams markdown syntax includes support for code:

  • To add an inline block of code, start and end the block of text you want to add with an`
  • To add a multi-line block of code, preface your text with```and then paste it into your compose box

Tabs

Tabs are rich interactive web content that you can access and optimize from with Microsoft Teams. Out of the box, you can add rich interactive Microsoft content like your Power BI dashboard, or add other third-party app experiences developed by our Partners and discoverable through our Office Store integration. All tab experiences can customized for you, your team and your channels. Use tabs to view your shared Excel content, track bugs and websites, view metrics with diagnostics tools like Geneva Monitoring, IcM, and Azure, and more.

In addition to using the built-in and Store-acquired tabs, you can build your own from scratch or by adapting your existing web app. Users can add tabs for either a personal 1-1 experience, or as part of a channel for all team members to collaborate with. Your final tab experience can be added as part of an overall Teams app package to be distributed across your company, or submitted to the Office Store to be available for Microsoft Teams users around the world.

To learn more on how to build your own, go toGetting started with tabs for Microsoft Teams.

Bots

You can build and connect intelligent or commands-based bots to Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams bots support 1:1 chats and channel conversations. Group chat is not supported at this time.

Create a bot with Microsoft Bot Framework

Microsoft Teams supports much of the common Microsoft Bot Frameworkfunctionality. To build a great Microsoft Teams bot:

  • Design a great bot.
  • Create and register your bot in the BotFramework.
  • Develop your bot.
  • Add your botto 1:1 or team conversations to test it in action.
  • Distribute your Teams app package to other teams to sideload, or submit to the Office Store to distribute it to Microsoft Teams users.

Create compose extensions

Compose extensions let users quickly share your app’s content directly into team conversations. Users can query or create entities directly in Teams without switching windows or using copy and paste to collaborate. For example, if your team is triaging an item from a task management app, they can give everyone background context by quickly searching for and bringing information about the item into the conversation.

Built on the Bot Framework, compose extensions are easy to develop on their own, or as part of your Bot experience.

Create a custom bot

Custom bots are an easy way of extending a single team with Microsoft Teams interactivity without having to go through the full process of creating a bot via the Microsoft Bot Framework. You can use them for custom workflows and commands, such as kicking off a build.

  1. Select the elipsis (…) next to a team name, and then select View Team.
  1. Select the Apps tab, and then select Create a custom bot at the bottom of the page.
  2. To configure how your bot will appear in channels, complete the information in the Create a custom bot dialog, and then select Create.

To learn more, seeCustom Bots

Connectors

With Office 365 Connectors, users can connect their group to services like Trello, Bing News, and Twitter, so they can get notified when there is team activity in those services.

You can integrate your service by posting rich Connector Cards into custom incoming webhooks.

Add a VSTS connector

The Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS) connector can be used to let teams know when there is a change to a work item, when a build is completed, or when a release is scheduled. IMPORTANT: To configure this connector, you must have project administrator permissions in VSTS.

  1. Point to a team channel, select the ellipsis (…), and then select Connectors.
  2. Browse to the Visual Studio Team Services connector, and select Add.
  3. You will be prompted to sign in to your Visual Studio Team Services account to complete the connection.

Create messages with Office 365 Connectors

Office 365 Connectors use webhooks to create Connector Card messages within Microsoft Teams, including the new Actionable Message card type. Developers can create these cards by sending an HTTP request with a simple JSON payload to a Microsoft Teams webhook address.

Step one: Create the webhook

  1. Select the elipsis (…) next to a channel name, and then select Connectors.
  2. Select Incoming Webhook, and then select Add.
  3. Enter a name, upload an image, and then select Create.
  4. Copy the webhook to the clipboard, and save it.
  5. Select Done.

Step two: Post a simple message to the webhook

  1. From the command line, enter the following cURL command: curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "{\"text\": \"Hello World!\"}" <YOUR WEBHOOK URL>
  2. If the POST succeeds, you should see a simple 1 output by cURL. You should see the new card posted to the team.

For full details on available options, see Actionable message card reference.

Build and publish your connector

You can distribute your registered connector as part of your Teams app package for Store submission, or provide it to users directly to sideload with Microsoft Teams.

To learn more, go to Getting started with Connectors for Microsoft Teams.

For more information

Get Microsoft Teams

aka.ms/GetMicrosoftTeams

Microsoft Teams for developers

Microsoft IT Showcase

microsoft.com/itshowcase

© 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

IT Showcase Article

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