iTagger

Adds a source modification tag to selected lines in RPGLE, CLP/CLLE, and SQL source files at a fixed column, using the right comment style for each — so changes are easy to trace back to a change/PTF/ticket number.

Usage

1. Select one or more lines in the editor (multiple selections are supported).
2. Right-click and choose iTagger: Add Source Tag, or run the command from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P).
3. Enter a tag (max 10 characters), e.g. 0001.
4. Optionally enter a tag column for this run only — leave it blank to use the configured default (itagger.tagColumn).

The extension works on any file type. RPGLE (and everything else) gets //tag comments; CLP and CLLE source files get /* tag */ comments; SQL source files get -- tag comments.

Placement rules

Given a 100-character line and a tag column of 90 (both configurable):

1. Room before column 90 — the line is padded with spaces and the tag (e.g. //0001, /* 0001 */, or -- 0001 depending on file type) is placed starting at column 90.
2. Code already reaches column 90, but the line isn't full — the tag is appended right after the existing text, separated by a single space.
3. No room left on the line — a tag-only line is inserted immediately before and immediately after the code line, starting at column 1 and marked tag-begin / tag-end, so the original line is left untouched.

CL/CLLE/CLP continuation statements

A CL command that spans multiple physical lines via a trailing + (general continuation) or - (continuing a quoted character-string literal) is treated as one logical statement, not tagged line-by-line — a statement can mix both across its lines. Selecting any line that's part of the statement is enough — iTagger follows the continuation chain to find the statement's true start and end:

• Rules 1/2 apply to the statement's last physical line only.
• Rule 3, if triggered, sandwiches the entire statement block with /* tag-begin */ / /* tag-end */ at column 1, rather than wrapping just the last line.

Single-line CL commands behave exactly like RPGLE/SQL lines (rules 1-3 applied directly).

Automatic tagging

For times you want lines tagged as you go, instead of selecting them manually each time, iTagger offers two modes:

1. Click iTagger: OFF in the status bar (bottom right), or run iTagger: Toggle Auto-Tag for This File from the Command Palette.
2. Pick a mode:
   • Auto-tag on Enter / paste - tags each line the moment you finish it (pressing Enter, or a multi-line paste).
   • Tag on save - leaves lines alone while you edit, and tags whatever changed since the last save, right before the file is saved.
3. Enter a tag, and optionally a column, same as the manual command.
4. From then on, tagging happens automatically per the mode you picked - until you toggle it off again (click the status bar item, now showing e.g. iTagger: ON (0001) [Enter] or [Save]).

Notes:

• Scoped per file - turning it on in one file doesn't affect others, and it turns off automatically when the file is closed.
• For CL/CLLE/CLP, both modes wait until a +/- continued statement is fully complete before tagging it as one unit, same as the manual command.
• Tag on save detects changes by comparing file content, not by tracking individual edits - so it stays correct even after several edits, insertions, or deletions between saves.
• The manual iTagger: Add Source Tag command (select lines, run it) works exactly the same whether automatic tagging is on or off for that file - they're independent, and never interfere with each other's edits.
• Blank lines are skipped by default (set itagger.tagBlankLines to tag them too); lines that already carry the current tag are always skipped.
• Settings (including which mode) are remembered per file, per workspace. Reopening a file (or reloading the window) that previously had tagging on will ask - via a notification - whether to turn it back on; it never restores silently.

Remembered tag

The tag prompt (manual command and auto-tag) pre-fills with whatever tag you last used, remembered separately per workspace/project. Just press Enter to reuse it, or type over it for a new one.

Settings

Known limitations

• Tags are plain text comments; the extension does not validate RPGLE, CL, or SQL syntax.
• Column counting is based on characters, not visual width — avoid tabs in source lines you plan to tag.