A quick overview of the areas where the tf4mono TF client may be more useful and where it is currently less useful than the standard MS TF client.

Shortcomings

1. Help documentation not as extensive.
2. Not as many GUI popup dialogs.
3. No current support for branch merges.
4. No current support for graphical conflict resolution.
5. Missing branch, merge, resolve, unshelve, and undelete commands.
6. Implemented commands may not support all options available in standard TF client.

Improvements

General

1. Get Latest on Checkout option (will be in Orcas release of TF)
2. "Preserve file modification times" option
3. Multiple commands can be chained together in a single TF execution separated by the "%" character. For example, tf online % checkin /comment:"applied patch 501". Commands can feed their output to the next command in the chain with %%, for example tf ls-files /others %% add to add all unknown files.
4. Builtin general help and per-command help, accessible via tf help <cmd>
5. Supports file attributes on unix.
6. Command argument ordering much more forgiving than standard client.
7. tf undo with no args will undo all pending changes
8. tf explore command for built in viewer GUI supporting multiple repository views, syntax highlighting, etc. (on unix platforms only in 0.5.2)
9. Can display local workspace cache configuration with tf show cache (often very helpful when debugging TFS issues)

Diffs

1. Unified diffs are actually appliable with gnu patch.
2. Does tree wide diffs
3. Can show what files you've changed locally but haven't checked out with tf diff /modified.
4. Can show what files are out of date with latest server version with tf diff /old.
5. Can show pending changes as a diff with tf diff.
6. /ignorespace option for ignoring whitespace changes.

Configuration

1. Supports read-write working folders.
2. Supports credential caching via XML files or the Gnome Keyring.

Numerous persisted configuration options are offered. Here's my config:

(/usr/local/src/opentf) tf config
Client Configuration:
  Checkin.Validate:	true
  Checkout.Latest:	true
  Credentials.Save:	true
  File.Excludes:	*.dll,*.pdb,core,.git/
  File.ReadWrite:	true
  Get.Recursive:	true
  History.DefaultToCwd:	true
  History.Detailed:	true
  History.Recursive:	true
  History.StopAfter:	10
  Online.Recursive:	true
  Server.Default:	10.100.1.88

Powertool Commands

1. Integrated tfpt rollback command.
2. Integrated tfpt treeclean command.
3. Integrated tfpt online command. Online command supports /added, /modified, and /deleted options. Standard client only supports "/deleted". Also supports passing a list of files to speed up operation (rather than scanning the entire working folder). Useful in scenarios when you've applied a patch. Than do tf online lsdiff <name of patch>;

Show Command

The show command can be used to explore many behind the scenes aspects of TFS. A few example are shown below.

> tf help show

Show information about build configuration, cache settings, identity 
info, usage statistics, or registered tools.

Usage: show [ build | cache | ident | stats | tools ]

Options:
  /login:ARG        	Login name (also /Y:ARG)
  /server:ARG       	Server name. (also /S:ARG)
  /workspace:ARG    	Workspace name (also /W:ARG)

> tf show stats

Files:           3279591
Folders:         214276
Groups:          4822
Pending Changes: 182284
Shelvesets:      116
Users:           185
Workspaces:      119

>tf show tools

VersionControl
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ArtifactTypes: 

  Changeset
  Label
  LatestItemVersion
  VersionedItem

Databases: 

  TeamFoundation Logging DB: TfsActivityLogging on tfs-db01
  VersionControl DB: TfsVersionControl on tfs-db01

ServiceInterfaces: 

  Download: /VersionControl/v1.0/item.asmx
  IBISEnablement: /VersionControl/v1.0/integration.asmx
  IProjectMaintenance: /VersionControl/v1.0/integration.asmx
  ISCCAdmin: /VersionControl/v1.0/administration.asmx
  ISCCProvider: /VersionControl/v1.0/repository.asmx
  LinkingProviderService: /VersionControl/v1.0/integration.asmx
  Upload: /VersionControl/v1.0/upload.asmx

tf show tools output truncated!

History Command

The history command supports the standard brief and detailed formats, as well as a "byowner" format that summarizes the changeset history by owner. For example,

(/usr/local/src/opentf) tf history "$/" /format:byowner /stopafter:300 
This could take some time... processing up to 300 changesets

STISTER: 67
STHAOO: 46
RHORET  : 42
RZEALTH: 24
JSELKO: 24
LMAHA   : 22
GVAMA: 20
JREED   : 17
JCOY  : 17
AWIMON  : 8
tatcuk : 8
XSTEWO: 5

Time Span: 10/2/2007 to 10/10/2007
Total   : 300

File Listing

The ls-files command shows known, deleted, modified, old, or unknown files under the given path via the options /deleted, /modified, /old, /unknown .