Getting started

Describes the steps to log in to API Assistant.

Before you begin

Ensure that the following tools are installed on your system:
  • Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
  • Homebrew
  • Python
  • PostgresSQL

Installing API Assistant

To download VS Code plug-in for API Assistant, complete the following steps:
  1. Log into API Manager.
  2. In the API Manager home page, click the Tools for download option.

  3. In the Tools for download window, click the API Assistant tab.
  4. Click Download next to the Step 1: Download VS Code plug-in for API Assistant.
    Note: Downloading the .vsix file might take a few minutes.
  5. Open VS Code.
  6. From the left panel, open the Extensions panel.
  7. From the upper-right corner of the window, click the View and More Actions ... icon, and select Install from VSIX.
  8. Navigate to the folder, and select the api-assistant-vscode-plugin-0.0.1-<build_number>.vsix file, and then click Install. You can view the API Assistant icon on the VS Code left panel.

  9. To upgrade API Assistant plug-in, repeat steps 1-8 and install the latest .vsix file.
    Note: Ensure that the latest .vsix file is the latest version.

Log in to API Assistant

To log in to API Assistant, complete the following steps:
  1. Open VS Code.
  2. Click the API Assistant icon.
  3. In the HOST URL field, enter the following URL:
    https://api-manager.preview.apiconnect.test.automation.ibm.com
    and then click Log in.
  4. Click Allow to sign in, and then select Open.
  5. Log in to API Manager, and then click use this link URL.
  6. Select Open Visual Studio Code when prompted, and click Open.
  7. Select the Provider organization option, and click Continue.

  8. Create a new folder in your system, for example, api-assistant-workspace. From VS Code, select File > Open Folder to open the folder. It will automatically create a workspace within that folder.

  9. To start a new chat session or to logout, click the IBM API Assistant menu and select:
    • New chat: Starts a new chat session. In this tech preview, previous chat sessions are not accessible. For more details, see Limitations.
    • Logout: Logout from API Assistant.
    Note: If an error appears on the UI after login, refer Limitations.
  10. To view the host URL and organization information, in the upper-right corner of the screen, select your organization . In this tech preview, you can only view the host URL and organization information in the Settings section, you cannot edit.

Uninstalling API Assistant

To uninstall API Assistant, complete the following steps:
  1. Open VS Code, and go to the Extension panel.
  2. In the Search Extensions in Marketplace field, enter the following text: IBM API Assistant VS Code Plugin.
  3. Click IBM API Assistant VSCode Plugin, and select Uninstall.