Code for IBM i Fridays

Seiden Group hosts regular community gatherings for VS Code for i users who want to ask questions, share tips, and discuss open issues and potential improvements to the IDE.

NEXT MEETING: July 11, 2025, 2:30 pm ET

Sign up using the form on this page to receive invitations to this and future meetings. Below are some highlights from previous meetings.

2025-06-27

• Markus Litters updated us on his outline tool, Morgana.
• Alan shared his TN5250 uninhibited input tip.
• Liam demoed how prefix commands like RPG: can now auto-generate RPG structures from SQL statements.
• Unit testing extension is now available, and we learned about several other upcoming enhancements.

2025-06-13

Highlights to come.

2025-05-30

• Demoed how to view connection details in response to questions on where to find error details, job logs, etc.
• Calvin demoed the latest version of TN5250, featuring a toggle for cursor control
• Discussed Java version compatibility, selecting which syntax checker to use, tools that convert fixed-format RPG to free-format, etc.
• Covered issue with GitHub Copilot inserting random code

2025-05-02

• Scott Forstie updated us on the database extension release (1.12.0) and shared some insider tips
• Discussed prerequisites for Code for i debugger versions 2 and 3
• Explored debug issue
• Answered questions from several attendees
• Demoed how to generate a sample insert statement from a table

2025-04-18

• Liam demonstrated the screen design renderer and showed some screenshots of the upcoming testing extension.
• We shared updated minimum system requirements for Code for i.
• Scott Forstie told us how to identify which releases/TRs are needed for table functions and other Db2 Services.
• Scott reported that IBM built the dependencies that you have within your SQL statement into the SQL parser.
• We discussed questions and enhancement requests related to debug, BOB, IBM i search, SQL results view, and pfgrep.

2025-04-04

• Talked about how people are using AI and compared various tools.
• Ryver site has been replaced with chat.ibmioss.org.
• Discussed improvements to Code for i debugger that will require the latest PTFs.
• IBM is working on an official testing extension to VS Code.
• Discussed (and solved some) issues and answered questions.

2025-02-28

• Liam showcased Db2 and AI integration
• Shared several tips, including managing multiple SQL jobs simultaneously and filtering and sorting the outline view.
• Previewed upcoming 3.0 release
• Addressed user connectivity issues and enhancement requests

2025-02-07

• Patrick previewed an upcoming feature to compare code on two different partitions directly from within Code for i. Also reviewed two other work-around methods that can be used now.
• Compared debugging in RDi vs. VS Code: differences in speed, workflow, and job debugging.
• Calvin demoed several enhancements to his pfgrep command.
• Smarter search in Code for i using F2 and right click/rename.
• Discussed several user issues, plus additional demos and tips.

2025-01-17

• Liam Allan filled us in on the Code for i refactoring project and showed how the SQL syntax checker helped him develop procedures to manage ILEastic API endpoints.
• Demonstration of Code for i’s “IBM i: Go To File” as having similar functionality to RDi’s PDM perspective.
• Attendees offered tips and we addressed several user questions.

2025-01-03

• Scott Forstie gave us a sneak peek at IBM’s latest Db2 extension work-in-progress—contextual syntax error information.
• Scott also demoed content assist, hover, and the new editable cells support, and he asked the group for other ideas on enhancing the database extension.
• We addressed several user questions.
• Attendee Ravi demoed how to get the prompt screen to show username, server name and current working folder.

2024-12-18

Kath provided links to info on two new Code for i enhancements.

• The latest release of the RPGLE language tools, with improvements for fixed-form RPG
  https://github.com/codefori/vscode-rpgle/releases/tag/0.28.0
• Editable cells in the Db2 extension
  https://github.com/codefori/vscode-db2i/releases/tag/1.7.0

2024-12-6

• Alan demoed Calvin’s new pfgrep tool, used to search source members.
• Liam showed upcoming Code for i enhancements for fixed format RPG.
• RPG Outliner for VS Code was demoed by Markus and Gerhard of Litters Consulting.
• Discussed whether to add references to VS Code outline view and how to use the same workspace for multiple systems.

2024-11-8

• Adam Shedivy, an active contributor to Code for i, gave us a sneak peek at the upcoming AI enhancements to the IDE’s Db2 for IBM i extension.

2024-9-13

• “BOB” for IBM i Demo with Edmund Reinhardt
  Edmund provided a complete demonstration, start to finish, of how to use BOB to compile source in VS Code; prepare a make file from scratch; and to use Source Orbit.  These tools can help developers who wish to use Git with stream files instead of traditional QSYS-based source members.