title: How do I create a branch on a TFS/Codeplex hosted project?
body: <p>Perhaps it's just because I'm not familiar with TFS (I've worked mostly with SVN), but I don't understand how to create a branch on a Codeplex hosted project.</p>
  
  <p>I'm using VS2012. In the Source Control Explorer, I select <em>Branching and Merging > Branch...</em> in the context menu, but then I don't know what to enter in the <em>Target</em> field:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/xr4nR.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>If I try <code>$/wpfanimatedgif/branches/1.3</code>, I get the following error:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>The target item $/wpfanimatedgif/branches/1.3 cannot be under the source item $/wpfanimatedgif.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>If I try <code>$/branches/1.3</code>, I get this error:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>TFS10198: Source control must branch into an existing team project. branches is not a team project.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I also tried to create a new team project from Team Explorer, but I don't have the required permissions.</p>
  
  <p>So how can I create a branch? Or is it impossible to do it on a Codeplex project?</p>
  
  <p>BTW, the reason I want to create a branch is because I'm working on an experimental feature and I don't want to publish to the "trunk" (or whatever it's called in TFS). Perhaps TFS has a different way of handling this scenario? I know about shelving changes, but if I understand correctly, the shelved code won't be available on Codeplex, will it?</p>