Getting Started with Code for IBM i: A Lunch & Learn Video
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.
Improve Your TN5250 Experience in VS Code for IBM i
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.
VS Code for IBM i: SELECT Statement [VIDEO]
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!
VS Code for IBM i: Profiles [Video]
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.
VS Code for IBM i: Filters [Video]
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.)
Getting Started with VS Code for IBM i [Video Tutorial]
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.
Compare Source Code with VS Code for IBM i
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.
VS Code for IBM i Repositories
Those of us who help support Code for i, the popular IDE for IBM i based on VS Code, often need to look at the code that makes it work.
Fully open source, the code that runs Code for i is available on Github repositories. From there, the code can be viewed and even enhanced by the public.
How to Report an Issue with VS Code for IBM i
If you believe you have found a bug or other issue with the Code for IBM i extension, you can post it to the Code for i issue tracker. The maintainers are very good about resolving issues.
Before reporting an issue, though, we recommend checking for (and applying) updates. It is very possible that your issue was already resolved.
How to Update the Code for i Extension
Code for IBM i has been moving quickly. As the popularity of this Visual Studio Code extension has grown, updates and enhancements have arrived regularly.
If you encounter a bug or issue, installing the latest update may resolve it. Updating Code for i requires only a restart of VS Code. Here are some details to clarify how to restart as well as how to roll back the update, if desired.