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Navigating IBM i with VS Code

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The following procedure shows how to connect to an IBM i (AS400) server and explore it using the Visual Studio Code Integrated Development Environment.

==========

1. INSTALLATION

1.1. Download and install the Visual Studio Code IDE.

2. PREPARATION

2.1. On the VS Code menu, go to [ Go -> Go to File... ] or press Ctrl+P, and input the command below to install the "Code for IBM i" extension.

ext install HalcyonTechLtd.code-for-ibmi

2.2. On the left sidebar, click on the IBM i icon to show the IBM i Servers panel and click on the plus "+" sign at the top to create a connection.

2.3. On the Login tab, input the following IBM i server details and click [ Connect ].

Connection Name: (just a placeholder name for easy identification)
Host or IP Address: (network address of IBM i server) 
SSH Port: 22 (usually)
Username: (username on IBM i server)
Password: (password on IBM i server)

3. UTILIZATION

3.1. User Library List

Libraries are required to locate source codes when compiling programs.

3.1.1. Click on the plus "+" sign to add an IBM i library. Input the name of the target library, or try your IBM i username (if not added yet).

3.1.2. To remove a library, right-click on the library name and choose [ Remove from library list ].

3.2. Object Browser

The Object Browser allows a user to explore containers that organize files, directories and other elements into the operating system hierarchy specific to IBM i.

3.2.1. Click on the funnel icon to create an IBM i object filter.

3.2.2. On the Filter tab, input the following details and click [ Save settings ].

Filter name: (just a placeholder name for easy identification)
Library: (username on IBM i server or other library names)
Object: *
Object type filter: *SRCPF
Member: *
Member type: *

3.2.3. To remove object filters, right-click on the filter name and click [ Delete filter ].

3.3. IFS Browser

The Integrated File System (IFS) Browser allows a user to explore conventional directories and stream files on the Portable Application Solutions Environment (PASE), the elements that most users are accustomed to on other operating systems such as Unix, Linux, and Windows.

3.3.1. Click on the plus "+" sign to add an IFS shortcut to the panel.

3.3.2. To remove a shortcut, right-click on the shortcut name and choose [ Remove IFS shortcut ]. DO NOT MINDLESSLY CHOOSE [ Delete object ] because this may permanently destroy the corresponding element on the server.

==========

REFERENCES

1. Halcyon Tech. Code for IBM i. Visual Studio Marketplace.

2. Halcyon Tech. Code for IBM i Documentation. GitHub.

==========

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