System Views

The IBM i FileSystem extension provides powerful system views that allow you to monitor and manage various aspects of your IBM i system directly from VS Code. These views provide comprehensive information and interactive actions for jobs, spooled files, and objects.

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📊 Display Object Information (DSPOBJ)

A comprehensive view that displays detailed information about any IBM i object, similar to the DSPOBJD command but with an enhanced, multi-tab interface.

IBM i SQL Services Used

Type	Schema	Name	Purpose
Table Function	QSYS2	OBJECT_STATISTICS	Retrieve comprehensive object statistics and metadata
View	QSYS2	OBJECT_LOCK_INFO	Retrieve all locks on the object
View	QSYS2	OBJECT_PRIVILEGES	Retrieve object authorizations and permissions

Features

• 📊 Information Tab: Complete object metadata including owner, creation date, size, and attributes
• 🔒 Locks Tab: View all active locks with state, scope, and job information
• 👥 Authorizations Tab: View user and group authorities with specific permissions
• 📅 Usage Statistics: Last used timestamp, days used count, save/restore information
• 🎨 Multi-tab Interface: Organized display with badges showing lock and authorization counts

How to Access

Command Palette

Use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) and search for “IBM i FS: Display Object Information”:

1. Enter the library name
2. Enter the object name
3. Select the object type
4. View the information in a multi-tab interface

Object Browser

Right-click on any object in the Object Browser and select “Additional Information” from the context menu, or click the info icon (ℹ️) in the editor toolbar when viewing an object.

Information Displayed

Information Tab:

• SQL Name and SQL Type
• Owner and Definer
• Object Size
• ASP Group (for libraries)
• Text Description
• Creation, Change, and Last Used timestamps
• Days Used Count
• Save/Restore information (timestamp, device, volume, sequence)
• Journal information
• Authorization List

Locks Tab:

• Lock State (shared/exclusive)
• Lock Status
• Lock Scope
• Job Name holding the lock

Authorizations Tab:

• Authorization Name (user/group)
• Object Authority (*ALL, *CHANGE, *USE, *EXCLUDE)
• Object Operational, Management, Existence, Alter, Reference permissions
• Data Read, Add, Update, Delete, Execute permissions

Tip

This view works with all object types, even those not specifically supported by the extension, providing a universal way to inspect any IBM i object.

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👥 Work with Active Jobs (WRKACTJOB)

Display and manage all active jobs in the system with real-time information and interactive actions.

IBM i SQL Services Used

Type	Schema	Name	Purpose
Table Function	QSYS2	ACTIVE_JOB_INFO	Retrieve all active jobs with detailed information

Features

• 📊 Real-time Job List: View all active jobs with current status and statistics
• 🔍 Search Functionality: Filter jobs by name, user, type, status, subsystem, or function
• 🔄 Auto-refresh: Automatic updates every 30 seconds (for non-OUTQ jobs)
• 📋 Comprehensive Information: Subsystem, job name, user, type, function, status, CPU, I/O
• ⚡ Interactive Actions: Hold, release, end, or debug jobs directly from the view
• 🎨 Dynamic UI: Action menu adapts based on job status (subsystem jobs excluded)

Available Actions

Action	Description	Availability
Details	Open WRKJOB view for detailed job information	All jobs
Hold	Hold the job (HLDJOB)	Active jobs (not held)
Release	Release the job (RLSJOB)	Held jobs
End	End the job (ENDJOB)	Active jobs
Debug	Start service entry point debugging	Active jobs

How to Access

Use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) and search for “IBM i: Work with Active Jobs” or use the command vscode-ibmi-fs.wrkactjob.

Information Displayed

• Subsystem: Subsystem name (blank for non-subsystem jobs)
• Job: Full job name (number/user/name)
• User: Authorization name
• Type: Job type (BATCH, INTER, SBS, etc.)
• Function: Current function being performed
• Status: Job status (ACTIVE, HLD, etc.)
• Temp. Stg.: Temporary storage used
• Elapsed CPU %: CPU percentage since last reset
• Elapsed I/O: Disk I/O count since last reset
• CPU Time: Total CPU time used
• Total I/O: Total disk I/O count

Note

The action menu is not displayed for subsystem jobs (JOB_TYPE = ‘SBS’) as they cannot be held or ended directly.

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💼 Work with Job (WRKJOB)

Display comprehensive information about a specific job with multiple tabs showing job details, statistics, and logs.

IBM i SQL Services Used

Type	Schema	Name	Purpose
Table Function	QSYS2	JOB_INFO	Retrieve comprehensive job information
Table Function	QSYS2	ACTIVE_JOB_INFO	Retrieve active job status and function
Table Function	QSYS2	STACK_INFO	Retrieve call stack entries
Table Function	QSYS2	JOB_LOCK_INFO	Retrieve job locks
Table Function	QSYS2	OPEN_FILES	Retrieve open files
Table Function	QSYS2	SPOOLED_FILE_INFO	Retrieve spooled files
Table Function	QSYS2	JOBLOG_INFO	Retrieve job log messages

Features

• 📊 Job Information Tab: Complete job attributes and configuration
• 📈 Job Statistics Tab: Library list, call stack, locks, open files, and spooled files
• 📝 Job Log Tab: All job log messages with severity and timestamps
• 🔄 Auto-refresh: Automatic updates every 30 seconds (for non-OUTQ jobs)
• ⚡ Interactive Actions: Hold, release, end jobs; open, download, or delete spools
• 🎨 Dynamic UI: Action buttons adapt based on job status
• 💾 State Preservation: Active tab is preserved across refreshes

Available Actions

Job Actions:

Action	Description	Availability
Hold Job	Hold the job (HLDJOB)	Active jobs (not held)
Release Job	Release the job (RLSJOB)	Held jobs
End Job	End the job (ENDJOB)	Active jobs
Debug Job	Start service entry point debugging	Active jobs

Spool Actions:

Action	Description
Open	Open spooled file in editor
Download	Download spooled file as PDF
Delete	Delete spooled file

How to Access

• From WRKACTJOB or WRKUSRJOB: Click “Details” action on any job
• From command palette: Search for “IBM i: Work with Job” and enter job name
• Direct command: vscode-ibmi-fs.wrkjob with job name parameter

Information Displayed

Job Info Tab:

• Job Status and Active Status
• Function currently being performed
• Job Type and Subsystem
• Job Description
• Submitter Job Name
• Timestamps (entered, scheduled, active, end)
• Job Queue and priorities
• Threading, storage, and wait settings
• CCSID and format settings
• Message logging configuration
• CPU and I/O statistics

Job Statistics Tab:

• Library List: All libraries with type (SYS/CUR/USR), ASP, and description
• Call Stack: Program call stack with position, program, statement, and procedure
• Locks: All object locks with state, status, scope, and member lock type
• Open Files: All open files with member, type, option, and I/O counts
• Spooled Files: All spools with name, status, pages, and interactive actions

Job Log Tab:

• Message ID and severity
• Message text (first and second level)
• From program and message file
• Timestamp

Tip

The job log messages are displayed in reverse chronological order (most recent first) for easier troubleshooting.

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👤 Work with User Jobs (WRKUSRJOB)

Display and manage all jobs (active and inactive) in the system with comprehensive filtering and actions.

IBM i SQL Services Used

Type	Schema	Name	Purpose
Table Function	QSYS2	JOB_INFO	Retrieve all jobs (active and inactive)
Table Function	QSYS2	ACTIVE_JOB_INFO	Retrieve active job status

Features

• 📊 Complete Job List: View all jobs including completed and output queue jobs
• 🔍 Search Functionality: Filter jobs by name, status, type, completion status, or function
• 📋 Comprehensive Information: Job status, active status, type, end severity, completion status
• ⚡ Interactive Actions: View details, hold, release, or end jobs
• 🎨 Dynamic UI: Action menu adapts based on job status (active/inactive)
• 🔄 Manual Refresh: Refresh button to update job list

Available Actions

Action	Description	Availability
Details	Open WRKJOB view for detailed job information	All jobs
Hold	Hold the job (HLDJOB)	Active jobs (not held)
Release	Release the job (RLSJOB)	Active held jobs
End	End the job (ENDJOB)	Active jobs

How to Access

Use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) and search for “IBM i: Work with User Jobs” or use the command vscode-ibmi-fs.wrkusrjob.

Information Displayed

• Job: Full job name (number/user/name)
• Job Status: Overall job status (ACTIVE, OUTQ, etc.)
• Active Status: Active job status (HLD, RUN, etc.) - only for active jobs
• Type: Job type (BATCH, INTER, etc.)
• End Severity: Job end severity level
• Completion: Completion status (NORMAL, ABNORMAL, etc.)
• Function: Current function being performed (for active jobs)

Note

Unlike WRKACTJOB, this view shows all jobs including those in output queues and completed jobs, making it useful for reviewing job history and troubleshooting.

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🖨️ Work with Spooled Files (WRKSPLF)

Display and manage all spooled files in the system with pagination, search, and interactive actions.

IBM i SQL Services Used

Type	Schema	Name	Purpose
Table Function	QSYS2	SPOOLED_FILE_INFO	Retrieve all spooled files with details
Function	SYSTOOLS	GENERATE_PDF	Generate PDF from spooled file

Features

• 📊 Complete Spool List: View all spooled files in the system
• 🔍 Search Functionality: Filter spools by name, user, data, status, or job
• 📄 Pagination: Navigate through large spool lists with configurable items per page
• 📋 Comprehensive Information: Name, user data, status, job, pages, size, timestamp
• ⚡ Interactive Actions: Open, download as PDF, or delete spooled files
• 🔄 Manual Refresh: Refresh button to update spool list

Available Actions

Action	Description
Open	Open spooled file in VS Code editor
Download	Download spooled file as PDF to local system
Delete	Delete spooled file from the system

How to Access

Use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) and search for “IBM i: Work with Spooled Files” or use the command vscode-ibmi-fs.wrksplf.

Information Displayed

• Name: Spooled file name
• Data: User data associated with the spool
• Status: Spool status (READY, HELD, PRINTING, etc.)
• User: User who created the spool
• Job: Job name that created the spool (number/user/name)
• Number: Spooled file number
• Timestamp: Creation date and time
• Pages: Total number of pages
• Size (KB): Spool file size in kilobytes

Pagination Controls

• Items per page: Default 50, configurable
• Page navigation: First, previous, next, last page buttons
• Total count: Display total number of spools matching search criteria

Tip

Use the search functionality to quickly find specific spools by name, user, or job. The search is performed on the server side for optimal performance.

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Note

For additional help, consult the Help and Support page or visit the GitHub repository to report issues.