Getting started with IBM Developer for z/OS on VS Code

The procedure to get started with IBM® Developer for z/OS® on VS Code is summarized as follows:

  1. Get the latest version of Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

  2. Install the prerequisites (a Java™ 17 runtime environment as a minimum)

  3. Install the IBM Developer for z/OS on VS Code from the Mainframe download site or from the VS Code Marketplace

  4. (Optional) Set up integrations for extended capabilities, such as installing IBM® RSE API Plug-in for Zowe™ CLI to interact with z/OS®

Privacy notice

IBM Z Open Editor is provided free of charge, but we ask you to provide us feedback through the various means available including:

This editor uses Microsoft VS Code's Telemetry solution that collects anonymized telemetry data, which is used to help understand how to improve the product. While we appreciate the insights this data provides, we also know that not everyone wants to send usage data and you can disable telemetry as described in Disable Telemetry Reporting. You can also read IBM®'s General Privacy Statement to learn more about our policies.

This current release of IBM Z Open Editor collects anonymous data for the following events:

  • Activation of this VS Code extension

  • Deactivation of this VS Code extension

  • Open, close and save files of a specific language such as COBOL, PL/I, HLASM, REXX, JCL

  • Resolve include files and assembler macros: success or failure

  • Using common language server operations such as code completion, references, definition, rename

  • Start a user build

  • Respond to the feedback dialog

  • Activate trial or full unlock licenses

Such events are logged with the following information:

  • Event time

  • Operating system and version

  • Country or region

  • Anonymous user and session ID

  • The type of editor used (VS Code, Eclipse Theia, Red Hat Dev Spaces)

  • Version numbers of Microsoft VS Code and IBM Z Open Editor

  • The major Java version and vendor used by the language servers

  • The name of the Z programming language used

  • The name of the operation performed

  • The type of z/OS protocol used (z/OSMF vs RSE API)