Generate PDF in Azure DevOps

Bravo Notes is a powerful Azure DevOps extension that transforms your work item data into professional PDF documents. Whether you need release notes, status reports, planning documents, or custom reports, Bravo Notes provides comprehensive PDF generation capabilities directly within Azure DevOps.

Core PDF Generation Features

Work Item Data Integration

• Query-based PDF generation - Create PDFs from any Azure DevOps query
• Work item hierarchy support - Include parent-child relationships in your documents
• Custom field mapping - Include any work item field in your PDF output
• Multi-project support - Generate reports across multiple Azure DevOps projects

Document Types

• Release notes - Professional release documentation with customizable formatting
• Status reports - Project status and progress reports
• Planning documents - Sprint planning and backlog documentation
• Custom reports - Flexible reporting for any business need

PDF Formatting & Styling

• Professional templates - Pre-built templates for common document types
• Custom styling - Full control over fonts, colors, and layout
• Branded documents - Add logos, headers, and footers
• Table of contents - Automatic TOC generation with page numbers
• Page numbering - Flexible page numbering options

Advanced PDF Features

Content Organization

• Grouping and sorting - Group work items by any field (iteration, area path, type, etc.)
• Conditional content - Include or exclude content based on work item properties
• Dynamic sections - Auto-generate sections based on your data
• Cross-references - Link between work items and sections

Data Visualization

• Charts and graphs - Include burndown charts, velocity charts, and custom visualizations
• Progress indicators - Visual progress bars and completion metrics
• Custom formatting - Rich text formatting with markdown support
• Image embedding - Include screenshots, diagrams, and other images

Template System

• Flexible templating - Powerful template syntax for dynamic content generation
• Reusable components - Create reusable template components
• Parameter support - Parameterized templates for different contexts
• Version control - Template versioning and change tracking

Integration Capabilities

Azure DevOps Integration

• Native extension - Seamlessly integrated into Azure DevOps interface
• Permission-aware - Respects Azure DevOps security and permissions
• Real-time data - Always uses the latest work item data
• Batch processing - Generate multiple documents simultaneously

Export & Sharing

• Multiple formats - PDF, Word, and other document formats
• Direct download - Download documents directly from Azure DevOps
• Email integration - Send documents via email
• Teams integration - Share documents in Microsoft Teams channels

Automation

• Scheduled generation - Automatically generate documents on a schedule
• Pipeline integration - Include document generation in your CI/CD pipelines
• Webhook support - Trigger document generation from external systems
• API access - Programmatic document generation

Common Use Cases

Release Management

• Release notes - Comprehensive release documentation
• Change logs - Track changes between releases
• Deployment guides - Step-by-step deployment instructions
• Rollback procedures - Document rollback processes

Project Management

• Sprint reports - Sprint planning and retrospective documents
• Status updates - Regular project status reporting
• Milestone tracking - Track progress toward project milestones
• Resource planning - Team capacity and resource allocation reports

Compliance & Documentation

• Audit trails - Document work item changes and approvals
• Compliance reports - Generate compliance documentation
• Process documentation - Document your development processes
• Quality assurance - QA testing and validation reports

Getting Started

Installation

1. Install the Bravo Notes extension from the Azure DevOps Marketplace
2. Configure your Azure DevOps organization permissions
3. Access Bravo Notes from the Azure DevOps navigation menu

Basic PDF Generation

1. Create a query - Start with an Azure DevOps query containing your work items
2. Choose a template - Select from pre-built templates or create custom ones
3. Configure options - Set grouping, sorting, and formatting preferences
4. Generate PDF - Click generate to create your document

Advanced Configuration

• Template customization - Learn the template syntax for advanced customization
• Styling options - Configure fonts, colors, and layout preferences
• Content rules - Set up conditional content and filtering rules
• Output settings - Configure PDF properties and metadata

Template Examples

Basic Release Notes Template

# Release {{release.name}}

## Features
{{#each features}}
- {{title}} - {{description}}
{{/each}}

## Bug Fixes
{{#each bugs}}
- {{title}} - {{description}}
{{/each}}

Sprint Status Report Template

# Sprint {{sprint.name}} Status

## Completed Work Items
{{#group completedItems by="Type"}}
### {{groupName}}
{{#each items}}
- [{{id}}] {{title}} - {{assignedTo}}
{{/each}}
{{/group}}

## In Progress
{{#each inProgressItems}}
- [{{id}}] {{title}} - {{assignedTo}} ({{state}})
{{/each}}

Best Practices

Template Design

• Keep it simple - Start with basic templates and add complexity gradually
• Use consistent formatting - Maintain consistent styling across documents
• Test thoroughly - Test templates with different data sets
• Document your templates - Add comments and documentation to complex templates

Performance Optimization

• Efficient queries - Use well-designed queries to minimize data processing
• Limit scope - Generate documents for specific time periods or areas
• Batch generation - Process multiple documents together when possible
• Cache templates - Reuse templates across multiple generations

Security Considerations

• Permission awareness - Ensure users only see data they have access to
• Sensitive data - Review documents for sensitive information before sharing
• Access controls - Implement proper access controls for generated documents
• Audit logging - Track document generation and access

Support and Resources

• Template examples - Browse our extensive template library
• Video tutorials - Step-by-step video guides
• Community support - Join our user community for tips and best practices
• Professional support - Enterprise support options available

Ready to start generating professional PDF documents from your Azure DevOps data? Get started with Bravo Notes today!