Local Actions

Similar to other repository settings, users can now store Actions as part of the Workspace. Users can now create .vscode/actions.json inside of your Workspace, and can contain Actions that are specific to that Workspace. That configuration file should also be checked into git for that application.

Running local Actions will execute the commands with the working directory as the deploy directory.

There is a tool that can generate an initial actions.json file for you. After connecting to a system, open the command palette (F1) and search for ‘Launch Actions Setup’. This shows a multi-select window where the user can pick which technologies they’re using. Based on the selection, an actions.json will be created.

Available variables

These variables can be used for local development. They can be referenced in actions.json or .env.

Libraries

Variable	Description
&BUILDLIB	The same as &CURLIB
&CURLIB	The current library defined in the User Library List view. Can also use *CURLIB
&LIBLS	The library list with spaces between each item
&BRANCHLIB	A deterministic library name built from the current branch in git

Directories and Files

Variable	Description
&RELATIVEPATH	The relative path to the file in the workspace
&LOCALPATH	The full path to the file on the local machine
&FULLPATH	The full path to the file on the remote machine
&WORKDIR	The working directory. Typically this means the deploy directory
&FILEDIR	The directory of the file on the remote machine
&PARENT	The local parent directory
&BASENAME	The basename of the file (name.ext). Can also use {filename}
&NAME	The name of the file (or use &NAMEL for lowercase)
&EXT	The extension of the file (or use &EXTL for lowercase)

Other

Variable	Description
&USERNAME	Connected username. Can also use {usrprf}
&HOST	Connected hostname. Can also use {host}
&HOME	Current home directory. Typically not the same as deploy directory.
&BRANCH	The current branch name in git. Can also use {branch}

Compiling non-IFS sources

When working in the local workspace, it is possible to define an Action that will automatically copy to a temporary member and compile from there. This is required for legacy object likes like DSPF, PF and LF, or other commands that use SRCFILE instead of SRCSTMF.

If you have a local (inside actions.json) ile action, and the command contains &SRCFILE, then the source will be copied to a temporary member inside the build library from your local workspace before running the compile command.

{
  "command": "CRTDSPF FILE(&CURLIB/&NAME) SRCFILE(&SRCFILE) TEXT('DSPF from local')",
  "environment": "ile",
  "type": "file",
  "name": "Create Display File (CRTDSPF)",
}

PASE environment variables

When you run Actions in the pase environment, all variables from VS Code (things like &CURLIB, &BUILDLIB, custom variables, .env variables) are inherited into the spawned pase shell.

For example, let’s say we had this shell script and this Action:

echo "Welcome"
echo "The current library is $CURLIB"

  {
    "name": "Run my shell script",
    "command": "chmod +x ./myscript.sh && ./myscript.sh",
    "extensions": [
      "GLOBAL"
    ],
    "environment": "pase",
    "deployFirst": true
  }

You will see the output:

output

Current library: USERLIB
Library list: QDEVTOOLS SAMPLE
Commands:
    chmod +x ./myscript.sh && ./myscript.sh

Welcome
The current library is USERLIB

Environment file

As well as custom variables defined in the User Library List view, users can also make use of the .env file.

The .env file allows each developer to define their own configuration. For example, standard development practice with git is everyone developing in their own environment - so developers might build into their own libraries. The .env file should always be in the .gitignore file.

Variables defined in this file will overwrite any of the default variables provided.

actions.json

actions.json

[
 {
   "name": "Deploy & build with ibmi-bob 🔨",
   "command": "error=*EVENTF lib1=&DEVLIB makei -f &BASENAME",
   "extensions": [
     "GLOBAL"
   ],
   "environment": "pase",
   "deployFirst": true
 }
]

Developer specific .env files

# developer A:
DEVLIB=DEVALIB

# developer B:
DEVLIB=DEVBLIB

Branch library

&BRANCHLIB is a special variable for generating a library name based on the branch name. The Source Orbit tool also supports this same branch library name logic.

The &BRANCHLIB variable will always start with VS followed by a deterministic set of 8 characters based on the current branch name.

actions.json

[
 {
   "name": "Deploy & build with ibmi-bob 🔨",
   "command": "error=*EVENTF lib1=&BRANCHLIB makei -f &BASENAME",
   "extensions": [
     "GLOBAL"
   ],
   "environment": "pase",
   "deployFirst": true
 }
]

.env and ILE actions

When you are compiling local sources using "environment": "ile", then it will use the User Library List for the job. You can use the CURLIB and LIBL variables to override them. This is useful because then it allows project-specific library lists.

actions.json

[
  {
    "name": "Compile with CRTBNDRPG 🔨",
    "command": "CRTBNDRPG PGM(&CURLIB/&NAME) SRCSTMF('&RELATIVEPATH') OPTION(*EVENTF) DBGVIEW(*SOURCE) TGTRLS(*CURRENT) TGTCCSID(*JOB)",
    "environment": "ile",
    "deployFirst": true,
    "extensions": [
      "RPGLE"
    ]
  }
]

.env

# developer A:
CURLIB=BLDLIB
LIBL=MYDB SAMPLE SYSTOOLS