Naming Syntax, Conventions, and Limitations

Team Foundation version control has naming syntax, conventions, and limitations.

List of Syntax, Conventions and Limitations

Team Foundation version control has the following naming syntax, conventions, and limitations:

Names lengths:

  • Check-in note names can be up to 64 characters long.

  • Check-in policy names can be up to 256 characters long.

  • Label names can be up to 64 characters long.

  • Workspace names can be up to 64 characters long.

  • Shelveset names can be up to 64 characters long.

Comment lengths:

  • Check-in comments can be up to 2GB.

  • Check-in note values can be up to 2GB.

  • Label comments can be up to 2048 characters long.

  • Shelveset comments can be up to 2048 characters long.

  • Workspace comments can be up to 2048 characters long.

Files and Paths:

  • Server paths can be up to 259 characters.

  • Local file paths fall within Windows limits of 259 characters long (including the file name), and 248 for a directory.

  • Files in the Team Foundation version control server have no size limit.

  • The total size of content in the Team Foundation version control server has no limit.

Names:

Most names in Team Foundation version control cannot begin or end with spaces or tabs. Any character can be used for names or labels, except the following:

  • Angle brackets (< >).

  • Colon (:).

  • Asterisk (*).

  • Forward (/) and backward slash (\).

  • Question mark (?).

  • Quotation mark (").

  • Pipe (|).

  • A dollar sign ($) cannot be the first character in a file name.

  • Label names cannot contain (@).

  • Workspace and shelveset names cannot contain (;).

See Also

Concepts

Use Labels to Take a Snapshot of Your Files

Create a Workspace to Work with your Team Project

Working with Shelvesets

Set and Enforce Quality Gates