Troubleshooting
Diagnose and resolve issues with ease when using Bob for IBM i development.
For general Bob troubleshooting guidance, see Troubleshooting IBM Bob.
Extension logs
IBM Bob Premium Package for i writes structured log entries to two output channels in VS Code.
IBM Bob Premium Package for i
The IBM Bob Premium Package for i output channel records every tool call made by Bob, making it the first place to look when a tool behaves unexpectedly or produces an error. To access it:
Open the Output panel in Bob (View → Output, or Ctrl+Shift+U (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+U (Mac)).
Select IBM Bob Premium Package for i from the output channel dropdown in the top-right corner of the Output panel.
Each tool call produces:
- An INFO entry when a tool starts, showing the tool name and relevant parameters.
- An ERROR entry if the tool fails, including a descriptive message that mirrors what Bob receives.
- A WARN entry if a tool has not completed after 30 seconds, indicating a potential hang.
- A completion entry showing the total duration in milliseconds.
IBM Bob
The IBM Bob output channel records general extension-level log entries. To access it:
Open the Output panel in Bob (View → Output, or Ctrl+Shift+U (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+U (Mac)).
Select IBM Bob from the output channel dropdown in the top-right corner of the Output panel.
To isolate IBM Bob Premium Package for i specific log messages, place your cursor in the output channel, press Ctrl+f (Windows) or Cmd+f (Mac), and search for [source:ibmi].
Other relevant channels
Relevant diagnostic information can also be found in the following additional output channels managed by other prerequisite IBM i extensions:
- Code for IBM i: The primary output channel for all IBM i communication. This includes CL, SQL, and PASE commands that are run, their errors, authentication messages, and other types of system messages.
- IBM i Testing: Logs which tests are discovered, what test configuration is used, all standard output and errors for any test commands, and more.
Resources
IBM i 7.6 Documentation
Official IBM 7.6 documentation for IBM i.
IBM Bob for IBM i Developers YouTube Playlist
YouTube playlist with walkthroughs, demos, and tips on how IBM i developers can leverage Bob.
Code for IBM i Extension Documentation
Official documentation for the Code for IBM i extension, covering connection setup, library list configuration, browsing QSYS & IFS, and compiling source code.
Db2 for IBM i Extension Documentation
Official documentation for the Db2 for IBM i extension, covering how to run SQL, browse database objects, leverage Visual Explain, and access SQL examples.
RPGLE Extension Documentation
Official documentation for the RPGLE extension, covering fixed-format and free-format RPGLE language editor features.
CL Extension Documentation
Official documentation for the CL extension, covering CL language editor features.
IBM i Testing Extension Documentation
Official documentation for the IBM i Testing extension, covering how to write RPGUnit tests, how to configure them and how to run them with code coverage.
RPGUnit Documentation
Official RPGUnit documentation covering test suite setup, assertion APIs, compile commands, and code coverage configuration.