Generating the AGENTS.md file

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To get the most value from the IBM Bob Premium Package for Z, one of the first recommended steps is generating the AGENTS.md file.

Think of this file as a single source of truth that helps Bob’s agents understand your workspace for mainframe programs such as COBOL, PL/I, before they analyze or generate any code. The AGENTS.md file also provides additional context and instructions to help Bob work on your project.

Why AGENTS.md matters

The AGENTS.md file acts as a central reference for agents when working with your mainframe applications. It captures key information about your workspace, including:

  • Workspace type and programming languages used
  • Database file locations
  • Repository and folder structure
  • Data dictionary location
  • Mandatory rules for reading the data dictionary
  • Coding conventions and styling guidelines
  • Architectural patterns and design principles
  • Testing standards and requirements

Bob automatically loads and applies this file at the start of every task, ensuring that all generated or analyzed code adheres to enterprise standards and project conventions.

How to manually generate the AGENTS.md

You can generate the AGENTS.md file by performing the following steps:

Select your workspace
Using the Explorer tab, browse to and select the workspace where you want to generate the AGENTS.md file.
Open IBM Bob chat
Open the IBM® Bob chat interface and switch to Z Code mode.
Initialize the scan

In the chat prompt, simply enter the /init command to kick off Bob’s workspace analysis.

Alternately, enter a plain text command to generate an AGENTS.md file.

Intelligent workspace scan

During initialization, IBM Bob performs a comprehensive scan of the workspace:

  • If an AGENTS.md file already exists, then Bob proceeds to update the AGENTS.md file based on the scan findings.
  • If the file does not exist, then Bob automatically:
    • Detects the workspace type
    • Identifies the languages used
    • Locates database files
    • Analyzes the repository structure
    • Identifies coding standards
    • Detects architectural patterns
Data dictionary enforcement

Bob adds a link to the data dictionary JSON file and enforces a rule that the data dictionary must always be read along with mainframe application files.

Note: If an AGENTS.md file does not exist, and you prompt Bob to create a data dictionary for any file, then Bob detects that the AGENTS.md file is missing and adds a subtask with the /init command, switching to Z Code mode. After the AGENTS.md file is created, Bob proceeds to create the data dictionary JSON file.
AGENTS.md generation

Bob generates the AGENTS.md file and places it in the root folder of your workspace, populated with all workspace-specific insights and enforcement rules.