Installing the AI code assistant extension in VS Code

This section provides information on the installation of AI code assistant extension, watsonx Code Assistant® for Z in Visual Studio Code.

Installing and configuring the AI code assistant will enable you to leverage the following enhanced capabilities of COBOL Upgrade Advisor for z/OS®:

Automate the conversion of 68/74 COBOL Standard syntax to the 85 COBOL Standard to support COBOL 6 compiler compatibility. For more information, see Smart code converter.
Locate and fix compilation errors and invalid data run-time errors in the source code.

The watsonx Code Assistant for Z helps streamline the conversion of legacy 68/74 COBOL Standard syntax to the 85 COBOL Standard, and it automatically identifies and helps resolve both compilation and runtime issues.

To install the watsonx Code Assistant for Z extension, see Installing the watsonx Code Assistant for Z extension for Visual Studio Code.

Note: When using the AI code assistant, it is recommended that you do not enable the auto approve features to avoid unintended changes or data loss.