Process Sharing
Accepted answer
if a client project is standalone, not consuming another project's process config, and you then START consuming the parent process config, nothing happens..
the standalone project needs to start with the EMPTY process template.
you cannot overtake (assimilate) a standalone project.
AND if you DO use process sharing, you have two ugly choices
1. for any process config section marked Final=true, no changes to this section are allowed in the client projects.
enum, variables, presentation, value config, etc.. are all sections controlle separately by Final= settings.
2. for any process config section marked Final= false (not checked, default), the child IS allowed to make changes to that section,
BUT____________ that section is COPIED from the parent and the child uses the COPY from then on forever
ANY changes made to the master AFTER the copy are not seen at the client EVER AGAIN. (for that section).
the standalone project needs to start with the EMPTY process template.
you cannot overtake (assimilate) a standalone project.
AND if you DO use process sharing, you have two ugly choices
1. for any process config section marked Final=true, no changes to this section are allowed in the client projects.
enum, variables, presentation, value config, etc.. are all sections controlle separately by Final= settings.
2. for any process config section marked Final= false (not checked, default), the child IS allowed to make changes to that section,
BUT____________ that section is COPIED from the parent and the child uses the COPY from then on forever
ANY changes made to the master AFTER the copy are not seen at the client EVER AGAIN. (for that section).
Comments
For more detail on how process sharing affects work item configuration see
https://jazz.net/library/article/1005
Note that if what you want is for the existing project area to just adopt the process of a master, then you can do so by just making the existing project share the process of the master, and then use the process source pane of the project area editor to delete everything except for the outermost node of the XML. You of course will then lose any process customizations you might have made in the existing project area.