IBM i Member Workspace

Bring IBM i source members into a local workspace, edit them offline, and synchronize changes safely using VS Code's built-in diff editor. Works with Code for IBM i.

Project origin: IBM i Member Workspace is an independently maintained project derived from IBMi Source Member Checkout, originally created by Ricky Thompson. It is distributed under GPL-3.0; see NOTICE for attribution.

Why?

Editing source members directly through Code for IBM i saves straight to the IBM i on every keystroke-save. This extension lets you check out a local copy, work at your own pace, and merge changes back when ready — with full diff support and source date preservation. This allows AI tools to work with your source files locally.

Before the first checkout in each VS Code workspace, choose a visible local folder for member files. The extension never silently stores checked-out members inside its installation or private storage.

First-Time Setup

1. Open a folder or .code-workspace file in VS Code.
2. When prompted, select Choose Folder, or run IBM i Member Workspace: Configure Checkout Folder from the Command Palette.
3. Select the directory that should contain checked-out members for this workspace.

The folder selection and checkout index are private to the current VS Code workspace and are not written to .vscode/settings.json. To change the folder later, first merge or discard every tracked checkout, then run Configure Checkout Folder again.

Features

Check Out Members

Right-click a member in the Code for IBM i Object Browser and choose Check Out Member. The source downloads to a local file (named after the member, e.g. EXAMPLE.RPGLE, for correct compilation) organized by system, library, and source file, and shows up in the Checked Out Members panel.

Select multiple members (Ctrl/Shift-click) before checking out, and they're all downloaded together — if any are already checked out, you're asked once whether to re-download or skip them.

Check Out All Members

Right-click a source file (one level above members) and choose Check Out All Members to pull down every member it contains in one go. Since this can mean a lot of members, a confirmation dialog warns that it may take a while before starting.

Protected Filter Members

Checkout is hidden by default for members in a protected (read-only) filter. Enable ibmi-member-workspace.allowCheckoutFromProtectedFilter to allow it when you deliberately want a local working copy of a protected source.

Merge Back to IBM i

Right-click a checkout and choose Merge Back to IBM i to open a diff view — your local changes on the left, the live remote member on the right. Use VS Code's merge arrows to selectively apply changes, then save the remote side; Code for IBM i handles the upload and preserves source dates.

Upload to IBM i

For a quick full replace, use Upload to IBM i. This overwrites the remote member with your local copy. A warning confirms that source dates will not be preserved.

Before uploading, the extension checks whether the member has changed on the IBM i since you checked it out. If it has, you're asked to Overwrite Anyway or Show Diff instead of silently losing the remote changes. In a multi-member upload, members changed on the IBM i are skipped and listed in the IBM i Member Workspace output panel.

Refresh Remote Status

Compares your local file, the live remote content, and the remote content as it was at checkout time (not just a stale comparison) to classify each checkout:

• In sync — local matches remote exactly
• Modified — you've edited locally; remote is unchanged (safe — nothing to lose)
• Remote changed — the member changed on the IBM i but your local copy is untouched (safe to re-checkout)
• Conflict — changed both locally and on the IBM i (re-checkout would discard your edits — review with Merge Back first)

Refresh per member (inline icon or context menu, with a prompt to Re-checkout or review the diff when the remote has changed), per source file group, or for every checkout at once from the panel toolbar. Bulk refreshes show per-member progress and can be cancelled.

Compare With

Right-click a checkout for comparison tools: Select for Compare (mark one checkout, then Compare with Selected on another), Compare with Active File, Compare with Local File, Compare with IFS File, or Compare with Member (any source member by path).

Other Actions

• Open Local File / Open Remote File — open either copy in the editor
• Run Action — trigger Code for IBM i's local source actions (compile, deploy, etc.)
• Reveal in File Explorer — show the local file in your OS file manager
• Copy Member Path — copy LIBRARY/SOURCEFILE(MEMBER) to the clipboard
• Discard Checkout — delete the local file and stop tracking it (with confirmation)

Multi-Select

The Checked Out Members panel supports selecting multiple checkouts at once. Open Local/Remote File, Run Action, Upload to IBM i, Refresh Remote Status, and Discard Checkout all work on a multi-selection, each confirming with a message naming how many members the action will affect before proceeding. Actions that only make sense for one item at a time (Merge Back, Compare With, Copy Member Path, Reveal in File Explorer) are single-selection only.

Settings

Local File Structure

<selected checkout folder>/
  myhost.company.com/
    MYLIB/
      QRPGLESRC/
        PAYROLL.RPGLE
      QCLSRC/
        PAYROLLC.CLLE

Organizing by system, library, and source file preserves the original filename for compilation and prevents collisions across different IBM i systems.

Requirements

• VS Code 1.90 or later
• Code for IBM i v3.0.0 or later
• Active connection to an IBM i system

Building from Source

Prerequisites

• Node.js 22 or later (includes npm)
• VS Code 1.90 or later, with Code for IBM i installed

Build

git clone https://github.com/vinhry/ibmi-member-workspace.git
cd ibmi-member-workspace
npm ci             # install the locked dependencies
npm run compile    # compile TypeScript into out/

Other useful scripts:

Run Without Installing (Development)

1. Open the project folder in VS Code.
2. In a terminal, run npm run watch and leave it running.
3. Press F5. When asked to pick a debugger, choose VS Code Extension Development.
4. A second VS Code window titled [Extension Development Host] opens with the extension loaded. Connect to your IBM i there to try it out.
5. After changing code, press Ctrl+R (Cmd+R on macOS) in that window to reload it.

Package and Install

1. Package the extension as a .vsix file:

   npm run package
   

   This compiles the project and creates ibmi-member-workspace-<version>.vsix in the project folder.

2. Install the .vsix using either of these:

   • From VS Code: open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X), click the ... menu at the top of the view, choose Install from VSIX..., and select the file.

   • From a terminal:

     code --install-extension ibmi-member-workspace-<version>.vsix
     

     On macOS, if code isn't found, open the Command Palette in VS Code and run Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH.

3. Reload VS Code when prompted. The Member Workspace icon appears in the Activity Bar once you connect to an IBM i.

To update, package and install the new .vsix the same way; it replaces the installed version. To remove the extension, find IBM i Member Workspace in the Extensions view and choose Uninstall.

Moving from Another Checkout Extension

IBM i Member Workspace has its own command IDs, settings, views, and extension storage. It can be enabled alongside the original extension, but it does not import or share checkout metadata.

1. Finish or back up any local work in the original extension.
2. Install IBM i Member Workspace from the Marketplace or its VSIX.
3. Open your VS Code workspace and choose its checkout folder when prompted.
4. Check out the members you want this extension to track.

Do not configure two checkout extensions to use the same local folder. Existing files are not tracked until they are checked out with IBM i Member Workspace, and each VS Code workspace maintains its own checkout index.

Releases

The public source for each release is tagged in this repository. Release VSIX files are also attached to GitHub Releases. The Marketplace extension ID is vinhry.ibmi-member-workspace.

Support

Report problems and request features through the IBM i Member Workspace issue tracker. This project is maintained and supported independently.

License and Attribution

GPL-3.0. This project is derived from GPL-licensed work; see NOTICE for its origin and maintenance information.