April 2024 Teams Toolkit Update for VS Code
April 2024: Elevate your Teams apps with new Teams Toolkit features for VS Code. Explore now!
Key insights
- API-based message extensions can now be created using auth-protected APIs with the Teams Toolkit, supporting either API-Key or Microsoft Entra (Azure AD) for authentication.
- The Teams App Test Tool has been enhanced to allow developers to debug and test their apps in a Microsoft Teams-like environment without needing network tunnels or a Microsoft 365 account.
- Custom copilot template for building AI-powered chatbots that understand natural language and retrieve data from custom sources to answer domain-specific questions is now available.
- Teams Toolkit now supports development of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint JavaScript add-ins, providing features for dependency checking, running and debugging, lifecycle management, and more.
- Enhancements include improved creation of Entra ID client secrets in Teams Toolkit, allowing customization of clientSecretExpireDays and clientSecretDescription parameters.
Exploring the Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio Code April 2024 Update
Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio Code has released its April 2024 update, featuring several improvements. These enhancements include tools for building API message extensions that require authentication, creating intelligent chatbots, and developing add-ins for popular Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This update caters to developers looking to streamline their productivity and enhance app functionality within the Microsoft Teams environment.
CREATE API BASED MESSAGE EXTENSIONS USING AUTH-PROTECTED API
Teams Toolkit now supports API-Key and Microsoft Entra (Azure AD) for authenticating your API-based message extension apps. This flexibility allows developers to secure their apps using either an existing API key or by generating a new API project via Teams Toolkit.
- API-Key: Add or generate an API key for authentication.
- Microsoft Entra (Azure AD): Generate a Microsoft Entra ID for your new API.
DEBUG MESSAGE EXTENSIONS IN TEAMS APP TEST TOOL
The Teams App Test Tool has been updated to support debugging and testing of search-based, action-based, and link unfurling message extensions. This web-based environment simulates Microsoft Teams features, enabling developers to test apps without the need for network tunnels or a Microsoft 365 account.
CREATE AN INTELLIGENT CHATBOT WITH DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE FROM CUSTOM DATA
With the new custom copilot template, developers can build AI-powered chatbots capable of understanding natural language and retrieving data to answer domain-specific questions. This template supports various data sources, providing flexibility in the type of information your chatbot can access and use.
- Custom data source: Incorporate any data source into your app.
- Azure AI Search: Access and utilize Azure AI Search service data.
- Custom API: Use APIs to retrieve domain-specific data.
- Microsoft Graph + SharePoint: Query M365 data using the Microsoft Graph Search API.
DEVELOP WORD, EXCEL AND POWERPOINT ADD-INS IN TEAMS TOOLKIT
The update enhances the Toolkit's support for developing Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint JavaScript add-ins. These features aid in checking dependencies, debugging, and managing the lifecycle of add-ins, among other functionalities.
ENHANCEMENTS
Teams Toolkit improves the creation of Entra ID client secrets, allowing customization of the clientSecretExpireDays and clientSecretDescription parameters. This update aims to make the development process more efficient and tailored to individual needs.
Read the full article Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio Code update – April 2024
People also ask
What is the Teams toolkit extension?
The Teams Toolkit, compatible with Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio 2022, streamlines the development and deployment process for Microsoft Teams applications. This includes providing integrated solutions for identity management, cloud storage, and accessing a variety of services within Microsoft 365 and Azure.
How to update Visual Studio Code from Microsoft to the latest version?
To upgrade Visual Studio Code to its most recent edition, it is recommended to utilize the Visual Studio Installer.
How to install Visual Studio Code update?
Visual Studio Code offers monthly updates and features an auto-update mechanism. When an update is available, VS Code will prompt the user to initiate the update process, requiring no additional effort to access the latest version. However, users have the option to disable the auto-update feature and manually update VS Code at their convenience.
How much storage does Visual Studio take?
The system requirements for Visual Studio include a recommendation of 4 vCPU and 16 GB of RAM. Depending on the features installed, the hard disk space requirement can vary from 850 MB to 210 GB, though most installations will typically need between 20 to 50 GB of free space.
Keywords
Teams Toolkit update, Visual Studio Code, April 2024, Teams development, Teams plugin VSCode, VSCode extensions, Microsoft Teams integration, Update Teams Toolkit