Step7 Import/Export — VS Code Extension

Bidirectional bridge between VS Code and Siemens SIMATIC Manager (Step7 V5.x) — open .s7p projects, import blocks and hardware data into local files, work on them with full VS Code + Copilot support, and export changes back to Step7. The extension is optimized for AWL/STL-centric workflows and for storing PLC logic in a source-control-friendly structure.

Key Features

Import from Step7 Project

Capability	Description
Open `.s7p` Project	Browse any SIMATIC Manager project — stations, CPUs, programs
Import Entire Project	One-click import of all programs with blocks, symbols, and sources
Import Block Folder	Import all blocks in a folder (OB, FB, FC, DB, UDT, etc.)
Import Single / Multi-Select	Import one block or Ctrl+click to select multiple blocks in the tree
Import Symbol Table	Export symbol table as JSON, XLSX, or CSV
Import Watch Tables	Export VAT (variable tables)
Import Hardware Configuration	Export station HW config (CPUs, CPs, network interfaces, Profibus/Profinet) as JSON
Generate AWL Sources	Generate AWL/STL source files via Step7 COM API
Project Explorer	Browse the full Step7 project hierarchy in the VS Code sidebar

Smart Capabilities

Two-phase import — Phase 1 reads blocks via libnodave (fast bulk read), Phase 2 upgrades COM-compatible blocks via Step7 COM API for full AWL source
Single COM session — Phase 2 generates all blocks in one COM session with configurable progress grouping, instead of spawning a separate process per block
Bilingual mnemonic support — German (AWL) or English (STL) instruction set
Know-how protected block detection — detects and handles protected blocks gracefully
Symbolic names — resolves symbolic addresses from the symbol table
Copilot instructions — auto-generates .github/copilot-instructions.md with AWL syntax rules and project description templates
Workspace synchronization — cleans existing blocks before import to keep workspace in sync with Step7 project
Progress reporting — real-time progress with percentage in VS Code progress bar and output log
Cancellation support — cancel long-running operations via VS Code progress UI
Status bar — real-time project info
Export back to Step7 — send changed block files from the workspace back into SIMATIC Manager
Modified block detection — quickly find workspace files that diverged from the source project before export

Requirements

Requirement	Version
OS	Windows 10 / 11
SIMATIC Manager	Step7 V5.7+ (for COM API features)
.NET	.NET 10 Runtime
VS Code	≥ 1.80.0
Node.js	20+ (for building / packaging only)

Full AWL source generation requires SIMATIC Manager V5.5 installed on the machine. Basic block reading (MC7 bytecode, metadata) works without SIMATIC Manager via libnodave.

This extension is intended for classic Step7 / SIMATIC Manager projects, not for TIA Portal projects.

Installation

Install the extension from VS Code Marketplace (or code --install-extension mariusz-czyrnek.step7-import)
Make sure .NET 10 Runtime is installed
For AWL source generation, ensure SIMATIC Manager V5.5 is installed
Optionally adjust settings via File → Preferences → Settings → Step7 Import/Export

The extension checks the required Step7 bridge components on activation. If the local .NET runtime is missing, it offers an installation command automatically.

Usage

Opening a Step7 Project

Open VS Code in a workspace folder
Click the Step7 Import/Export icon in the Activity Bar
Click Open Step7 Project or run the command Step7: Open Project
Select a .s7p project file from SIMATIC Manager

Importing Blocks

Open a Step7 project
Browse the project structure in the Project Structure sidebar
Right-click on any node to import:
- Project — import all programs with all blocks and symbols
- Program — import all blocks for a single program
- Block Folder (OB, FB, FC, DB…) — import all blocks of that type
- Block — import a single block
- Symbol Table — import the symbol table
- Watch Table — import a VAT
Use Ctrl+Click in the tree to select multiple blocks, then right-click → Import Selected Blocks
Import hardware configuration via the $(server) icon on Project or Station nodes
Files are saved under Step7Export/<Project>/<Station>/<CPU>/<Program>/ in your workspace

Exporting Back to Step7

Import or prepare the Step7 workspace structure first
Modify exported AWL/SCL files in VS Code
In the Project Structure view or the Explorer context menu, run one of the export commands:
- Step7: Export to Step7 — export the current block, folder, program, or project
- Step7: Export via SIMATIC Manager — push changes back using the SIMATIC Manager route
- Step7: Show Modified Blocks — inspect which blocks changed before export
Validate the imported changes inside SIMATIC Manager before downloading to hardware

Exported Directory Structure

<Workspace>/
├── .github/
│   ├── copilot-instructions.md       # AI coding rules for AWL/STL files
│   └── ProjectDescription.md         # Auto-generated project description
├── Step7Export/
│   └── <ProjectName>/
│       └── <Station>/
│           └── <CPU>/
│               └── <Program>/
│                   ├── Blocks/
│                   │   ├── OB/
│                   │   │   ├── OB1 — Main.awl
│                   │   │   └── OB1 — Main.json
│                   │   ├── FB/
│                   │   ├── FC/
│                   │   ├── DB/
│                   │   └── UDT/
│                   ├── Sources/
│                   │   └── *.awl
│                   └── Symbols/
│                       ├── _symbols.json
│                       └── _symbols.xlsx
│           └── HWconfig/
│               └── _hwconfig.json          # Station hardware configuration

Workspace Templates (`.github/`)

On first import (or when you run Step7: Prepare Workspace), the extension scaffolds the workspace with template files:

File / Folder	Purpose
`.github/copilot-instructions.md`	Instructions for GitHub Copilot with full AWL/STL syntax guide, block structure rules, and project documentation
`.github/ProjectDescription.md`	Living document describing project architecture, populated automatically by Copilot

Templates are created only if they do not already exist, so your existing workspace files are preserved.

Extension Settings

Setting	Description	Default
`step7Import.exportFolderName`	Folder name for Step7 exports	`Step7Export`
`step7Import.useSymbolicNames`	Use symbolic names in AWL code	`true`
`step7Import.includeSystemBlocks`	Import system blocks (SFB, SFC)	`false`
`step7Import.includeStructureJson`	Generate `.struct.json` files for DB/UDT	`true`
`step7Import.showDeleted`	Show deleted blocks	`false`
`step7Import.exportKnowHowProtected`	Generate source for know-how protected blocks	`false`
`step7Import.generateSourceFormat`	Export format:`awl` or `awl+json`	`awl+json`
`step7Import.mnemonicLanguage`	Mnemonic language:`de` (German AWL) or `en` (English STL)	`en`
`step7Import.symbolListFormat`	Symbol table format:`json`, `xlsx`, or `csv`	`json`
`step7Import.comBatchSize`	Blocks per COM API batch during source generation (1–100)	`10`

Commands

Command	Description
`Step7: Open Project`	Open a `.s7p` project file
`Step7: Close Project`	Close the current project
`Step7: Import All`	Import all blocks for a program
`Step7: Import All Programs`	Import all programs in the project
`Step7: Import Block`	Import a single block
`Step7: Import Selected Blocks`	Import multiple selected blocks (Ctrl+Click in tree)
`Step7: Import Block Folder`	Import all blocks of a type (OB, FB, FC, DB…)
`Step7: Import Symbol Table`	Import the symbol table
`Step7: Import Watch Tables`	Import watch/variable tables
`Step7: Import Hardware Configuration`	Import HW config for all stations or a single station
`Step7: Generate AWL Source`	Generate AWL source for a single block via COM API
`Step7: Generate All AWL Sources`	Generate AWL sources for all blocks via COM API
`Step7: Refresh Project`	Refresh the project tree
`Step7: Show Logs`	Open the extension output channel
`Step7: Open Settings`	Open extension settings page
`Step7: Toggle Export Format`	Switch between AWL and AWL+JSON
`Step7: Toggle Mnemonic Language`	Switch between German (AWL) and English (STL)
`Step7: Toggle Symbolic Names`	Toggle symbolic name resolution
`Step7: Toggle System Blocks`	Toggle system block visibility
`Step7: Toggle Structure JSON`	Toggle `.struct.json` generation
`Step7: Toggle Show Deleted`	Toggle deleted block visibility
`Step7: Toggle Know-How Protected`	Toggle know-how protected block export
`Step7: Prepare Workspace`	Scaffold workspace (`.github/`, template files)
`Step7: Show Modified Blocks`	Show changed blocks before export
`Step7: Export to Step7`	Export selected workspace content back to Step7
`Step7: Export via SIMATIC Manager`	Export selected workspace content via SIMATIC Manager

Architecture

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      VS Code Extension                       │
│                                                              │
│  ┌────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐  ┌───────────────────────┐│
│  │  Commands   │  │  Providers   │  │      Utilities        ││
│  │ (import/    │  │ (tree view,  │  │ (logger, config,      ││
│  │  export)    │  │  connection) │  │  statusBar, workspace)││
│  └──────┬─────┘  └──────┬───────┘  └───────────────────────┘│
│         │               │                                    │
│  ┌──────▼───────────────▼───────────────────────────────────┐│
│  │               Services Layer                             ││
│  │  step7Bridge · step7Project · blockExporter              ││
│  │  hwConfigService · hwConfigExporter                      ││
│  └──────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘│
│                         │  stdin/stdout JSON-RPC             │
└─────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────┘
                          │
┌─────────────────────────▼────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  Step7Bridge (.NET 10.0)                       │
│                                                              │
│  Program.cs ─► Handlers/                                     │
│                  ├── ProjectHandler.cs (libnodave)            │
│                  ├── HardwareHandler.cs (HW config)           │
│                  └── Step7ApiExporter.cs (COM API)            │
│                                                              │
│            libnodave: direct S7 file access                   │
│            Step7 COM API: SIMATIC Manager automation          │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The extension spawns Step7Bridge.exe as a child process, communicating via JSON-RPC over stdin/stdout. The bridge reads Step7 project files using libnodave for fast block extraction and optionally uses the Step7 COM API (SIMATIC Manager automation interface) for full AWL source generation.

Support and Feedback

Source repository: cmariusz/Step7.ExtVScode
Issue tracker: GitHub Issues
Marketplace identifier: MariuszCzyrnek.step7-import

If you hit an import/export issue, include the Step7 version, whether SIMATIC Manager is installed, the executed command, and the relevant output from Step7: Show Logs.

Third-Party Notices

Third-party dependency and redistribution notes are documented in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.

Siemens Disclaimer

This extension is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Siemens.

All Siemens product names, trademarks, and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used only to describe interoperability.

Disclaimer of Liability

The extension is a development and automation tool, and all imports/exports modify engineering data at your own risk.

The author is not liable for any direct or indirect damages, production downtime, data loss, project corruption, safety incidents, or other consequences resulting from changes made to Step7 / SIMATIC Manager projects using this extension.

Users are fully responsible for validating, testing, and approving all generated or imported changes before deployment to real machines, production lines, or safety-related systems.

This extension scaffolds a workspace-ready .github/copilot-instructions.md file that teaches AI assistants how to work with exported AWL/STL files and Step7 project structures.

We encourage you to contribute! If you have created useful scripts, automation tools, or improvements to the Copilot instructions:

Fork the Step7.ExtVScode repository on GitHub
Propose improvements to the export structure, documentation templates, or .github/copilot-instructions.md
Include a short usage note or example when contributing automation helpers or workspace templates
Open a Pull Request — your contribution will help the Step7 + VS Code community

Every shared script or instruction improves the experience for all users. Don't hesitate to share even small utilities — they often save the most time!

License

See THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md for bundled dependency notices relevant to redistribution.

Step7 Import/Export

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