IDE Setup
An IDE is required to browse, edit, and manage Bank of Z source code. For the best experience and to follow the tutorials in the documentation, use IBM Bob Premium Package for Z. Alternatively, you can use Visual Studio Code.
IDE setup is independent of your chosen deployment workflow. Complete this setup before continuing your deployment tooling.
Prerequisites
Java 21 is required to run the IDE and its embedded tooling.
Install IBM Semeru Runtime for Java 21 or later, and then verify the installation:
java -version
Required extensions
Install the following extensions in your IDE.
Note: If you are using IBM Bob Premium Package for Z and an extension is unavailable in the Open VSX Marketplace, download the VSIX package and install it manually.
| Extension | Description | VS Code Marketplace | Open VSX | VSIX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBM® Developer for z/OS® Enterprise Edition (IDzEE) Extension Pack | Core IBM Z development extensions including IBM Z Open Editor, IBM Z Open Debug, IBM Compiled Code Coverage, Zowe Explorer, and Zowe Explorer for IBM CICS. | Link | Link | Link |
| IBM CICS Interdependency Analyzer Extension for Zowe Explorer | CICS application and resource analysis. | Link | N/A | Link |
| IBM IMS Explorer for VS Code | IMS application development support. | Link | N/A | Link |
| IBM Db2 for z/OS Developer Extension | Db2 development and SQL tooling. | Link | Link | Link |
| IBM z/OS Connect development tools | API development and management for z/OS Connect. | Link | N/A | Link |
| IBM TAZ Early Development Testing | Test automation and early development testing. | Link | Link | Link |
Note: For IBM MQ there is no IBM extension in the VS Code Marketplace. See the IBM MQ Console extension available from the ibm-messaging GitHub group.
Install extensions from a marketplace
- Open the Extensions view in your IDE.
- Search for the extension by name.
- Select Install.
Install VSIX packages manually
- Download the VSIX file using the link in the table above.
- Open the Extensions view.
- Select More Actions (…) → Install from VSIX…
- Browse to the downloaded file and complete the installation.
Automated VSIX download and install
Bank of Z includes scripts to download and install all required VSIX packages in one step.
Download all packages:
node scripts/download-vsix.js [output-directory]
The default output directory is ./vsix-extensions.
Install into IBM Bob Premium Package for Z:
# First add bobide to PATH:
# View > Command Palette > Shell Command: Install 'bobide' command in PATH
node scripts/install-bobide-vsix.js [output-directory]
Install into VS Code:
# First add code to PATH:
# View > Command Palette > Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH
node scripts/install-vscode-vsix.js [output-directory]
For more information, see scripts/README.md.
Verify the IDE configuration
After completing the installation:
- Launch the IDE.
- Confirm all required extensions are installed and enabled.
- Open the Bank of Z repository and confirm that the workspace tasks are available from Terminal → Run Task.
Next steps
Continue to Zowe Profile Setup to configure connectivity to your z/OS system.