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Code for IBM i Docs

Scope

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Project Scope

As of 2023, the Code for IBM i project has grown quite large. While Code for IBM i can generally mean many extensions, it actually refers to vscode-ibmi. The vscode-ibmi is the Code for IBM i extension which is the base for many other extensions.

Code for IBM i

vscode-ibmi generally provides the base user experience for application development on IBM i, this includes:

  • Manage connections and maintain the connection for the user
  • Opening and browsing objects/files in QSYS.LIB or the IFS
  • Maintain and executing Actions to run commands on the server, usually to compile source code and show compile errors
  • Maintain the user library list, current library and Profiles that will be used when Actions are run
  • Provide a UI to the IBM i Debugger for ILE and OPM objects

vscode-ibmi manages the connection, but provides an API to which other extensions can utilise to do many things:

  • Run ILE or pase commands on the connection server
  • Parse and display EVFEVENT file results from the majority of ILE compilers (C, C++, COBOL, RPGLE, etc)
  • Running SQL queries on the server
  • List directories in multiple file systems (including QSYS.LIB and the IFS) as well as download/upload files and/or manage their content

vscode-ibmi is not supposed to provide tools for a specific language, runtime or feature. All the current functionality is generic as possible while keeping a lightweight experience.

What if I want to add a new feature?

Consider where your feature really belongs.

  • Are you building a feature for a specific language? Perhaps it belongs in one of the many language extensions (vscode-rpgle, vscode-clle, etc)
  • Are you building a database UX feature? Then it likely belongs in the vscode-db2i extension
  • Do you want to be able to view the contents of an object like a BNDDIR, MSGF, etc? Then it likely belongs in the vscode-ibmi-fs extension.
  • Do you want to fix a bug in the base, or add a feature that is generic to IBM i and applies to all languages? Then perhaps it belongs in the base (vscode-ibmi)