Archive for category: VS Code for i

Alan Seiden

Moving to IBM i 7.6? An SDA Alternative with VS Code and IBM Bob

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Display File DDS Edit LogoHave you been holding off on IBM i 7.6 because your developers need Screen Design Aid (SDA)? IBM removed SDA in 7.6, but there is another way to maintain your DDS display files.

Christian Larsen’s free and open source Display File DDS Edit extension lets you visually edit and preview display files in VS Code and IBM Bob. For shops that depend on SDA, the extension can remove an obstacle to upgrading.

Christian joined us at our September 25, 2026, Code for i Fridays meeting to demonstrate the editor and answer questions. We have posted the video of Christian’s demonstration, with his permission.

Working with your display files

As you edit DDS, the extension shows a preview of your screen. You can drag fields into position, add fields and constants, and see how indicator settings affect the display.

Screen Preview

Christian’s demonstration covers tasks familiar to SDA users, including:

  • Moving and adding fields
  • Working with indicators and function keys
  • Resolving referenced fields
  • Overlaying records
  • Designing windows
  • Supporting multiple display sizes

Preparing for IBM i 7.6

If SDA is on your list of reasons to stay on an older release, take a look at VS Code, Code for i, and this extension. You can keep maintaining your existing DDS screens using VS Code or IBM Bob.

Getting started

Install Display File DDS Edit from the Visual Studio Marketplace. In VS Code, open a DDS display file, and look for DSPF STRUCTURE in Explorer. From there, you can navigate the file and access editing options. The Marketplace page also links to documentation and a place to report issues or request enhancements.

Thank you to Christian for sharing his work and taking questions from the group.

For more demonstrations and discussions like this one, join us for Code for i Fridays. Bring a question, share something you’ve learned, or just listen. Sign up to receive meeting invitations and recording links.

Amy Lantz

Getting Started with Code for IBM i: A Lunch & Learn Video

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On October 29, 2025, Alan teamed up with Susan Gantner and Jon Paris for an educational Lunch & Learn focused on two timely IBM i development topics: VS Code for i and RPG arrays.

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Alan Seiden

Improve Your TN5250 Experience in VS Code for IBM i

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Update: New installations of Code for i include the +uninhibited option by default, as described here.

The open-source TN5250 emulator provides a handy way to launch IBM i 5250 sessions from within VS Code for IBM i.

The one drawback I’ve found in TN5250 is the Cursor in protected area of display error when I accidentally type on a protected area of the screen—an area where input isn’t allowed. The error must be cleared before I can continue to work.

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Amy Lantz

VS Code for IBM i: SELECT Statement [VIDEO]

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In this episode of Getting Started with Code for i, Patrick Behr focuses on the power of the SELECT statement included in the Db2 for i extension.

SELECT lets you quickly generate CSV or JSON files, or update your Db2 for i data, directly from Code for i. Just watch how easy it is!

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Amy Lantz

VS Code for IBM i: Profiles [Video]

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Returning with a new episode in his Getting Started with Code for i video series, IBM Champion Patrick Behr now focuses on how to set up profiles.

Profiles let you define different library lists and filters based on what you’re working on. They give you one-click access between, for example, production and test environments, accounting and warehouse applications, or whatever you need to need to do next.

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Alan Seiden

Compare Source Between Two Partitions using VS Code for IBM i

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Comparing source code between IBM i partitions has been a desired feature of Code for i. Although connecting to two systems within one Code for i window is not yet supported, comparing source from two systems IS possible.

Patrick Behr recently posted a comparison technique using Git that works for multiple files. Another technique, which seems well suited for comparing single files rather than multiples, was provided by Christian Jorgensen in the Code for i Github repository. We share both versions below.

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Amy Lantz

VS Code for IBM i: Filters [Video]

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In Episode 2 of his Getting Started with VS Code for IBM i series for RPG and COBOL developers, Patrick Behr shows us several ways to efficiently filter and find IBM i source physical file members using Code for i’s Object Browser. (You’ll find Episode 1 here.)

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Amy Lantz

Getting Started with VS Code for IBM i [Video Tutorial]

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Code for IBM i is rapidly gain traction as an efficient, cost-effective alternative to RDi for RPGLE (fixed and free format), COBOL, CL, and Db2 for i development.

To help traditional IBM i developers explore this fast and flexible IDE, Patrick Behr offers this first tutorial in his Getting Started with VS Code for i video series. In it, he demonstrates how to install VS Code and its IBM i Development pack, connect to an IBM i server, set and manage library lists, filter your object browser, and change and compile RPG source.

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Alan Seiden

VS Code for IBM i: SEP Debugging Prerequisites

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Code for IBM iCode for i users have been showing interest in Service Entry Point (SEP) debugging. SEP permits debugging of applications that run in a different job than the programmer’s job, such as a web server or prestart job.

Available since Version 2 of the IBM Debug Service, SEP requires several prerequisites, including the IBM i Debug extension, PTFs, and Licensed Program Products (LPPs). This article focuses on the PTFs and LPPs, objects that are frequently overlooked.

JUNE 2025 UPDATE
Version 3 of the Debug Service is now available. For prerequisites, see the official documentation’s Debugging General Requirements.

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Alan Seiden

Compare Source Code with VS Code for IBM i

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Code for i’s source comparison feature recently helped me find a bug. While comparing old vs. new versions of an RPG program, I discovered that a CHAIN had been changed to an SQL SELECT, which was fine, except that an important column name had been forgotten. I created a “before and after” Code for i screen shot for the programmer, who then fixed the mistake.

As documented on the Code for i “Tricks” page, comparing source code takes only two steps. This technique works both for traditional source members and stream files stored in the IFS.

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