Generating implementation plan

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IBM Bob Premium Package for Z enables you to generate comprehensive, spec-driven implementation plans for mainframe codebase changes (COBOL, PL/I, JCL) to create or design the implementation approach before refactoring or modernization.

In Z Architect mode, implementation plans are generated using the implementation-planning skill, which provides a comprehensive, spec-driven approach to planning mainframe codebase changes.

How to generate an implementation plan

To generate an implementation plan, complete the following steps:

  1. Open IBM® Bob workspace with all extensions installed and select the Z Architect mode.
  2. In the Bob Chat window, describe the feature, change, or refactoring you want to implement. For example:
    design implementation approach for modernizing batch processing
  3. Select any one of the following:
    • Z Understand Service - Uses IBM Z Understand for comprehensive cross-application analysis
    • Local Workspace Analysis - Analyzes files in your current workspace
    Note: If you choose the Local Workspace Analysis, the system calls execute_sql_query (NL2SQL tool) to auto generate queries using the local database.
  4. IBM Bob Premium Package for Z gathers information about
    • The feature or change you want to implement
    • Affected programs and components
    • Business requirements and constraints
    • Technical specifications
  5. System analyzes existing codebase structure, maps dependencies, reviews data dictionaries for business context. It then defines the implementation, identifies risks, and defines testing approach.
  6. It generates a comprehensive plan in the following location: .bobz/implementation-plans/[feature-name]-[timestamp]/implementation-plan.md. The plan includes the following:
    • Executive summary
    • System context and dependencies
    • Detailed implementation steps with code examples
    • Risk assessment and mitigation strategies
    • Testing and validation approach
    • Deployment considerations
    • Rollback procedures
  7. Review the plan, request clarifications if needed, and then approve it.
  8. To implement this plan, switch to Z Code mode and request code implementation based on the approved plan.
  9. IBM Bob Premium Package for Z follows the plan and applies the required changes. You can also validate the implemented changes against the approved plan.

Tools

To know about the tools used by IBM Bob Premium Package for Z to generate an implementation plan, see Using workflows, skills, tools, and commands.

Sample prompts

You can use the following sample prompts to generate code:

  • Create implementation plan for <feature/change>
  • Plan this change: <description>
  • Design implementation approach for <task>
  • How should I implement <feature>
  • Plan the refactoring of <program name> to use DB2