IBM IMS® Explorer for VS Code

Configuring the extension

Configuration for IMS Explorer for VS Code extension settings is managed through VS Code Settings.

Overview

To open the extension settings for IMS Explorer for VS Code, click the Manage button located at the bottom of the Activity Bar. This button is indicated by a cog or gear. Select Settings and locate the IMS Explorer settings within the Extensions list or by using the search bar to filter results. Alternatively, you can directly update the setting.json file directly to add define the properties which are shown .

Java Home

Used to specify an absolute path to a supported Java installation to be used by IMS Explorer for VS Code.

macOS example:

"ims.explorer.connection.property.javaHome": "/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk21/Contents/Home"

Windows example:

"ims.explorer.connection.property.javaHome": "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk21"

JVM Arguments

Configure JVM arguments for IMS connections, including memory allocation and other Java system properties:

"ims.explorer.connection.property.jvmArgs": "-Xms2g -Xmx4g -Denv=prod"

Common use cases include setting heap size (-Xms and -Xmx), enabling debug options, or configuring SSL properties.

Logging Level

Controls the level in the IMS Explorer logs. Default logging level is INFO. Changes take effect immediately.

"ims.explorer.logging.level": "INFO"

Logs appear in the Output panel under:

  • IBM IMS Explorer for VS Code
  • IBM IMS Explorer LSP Server
    • Any JDBC or SQL related errors should be expected from this log panel

IMS Connection Configuration

For connection-level configuration options—including SSL certificates, catalog visibility, performance tuning, and tracing—see Configuring IMS connections.

Workspace Location

Defines where extension-related files—such as ims.connections.json are stored. This allows consistent management of IMS project configuration files and enables sharing through version control. You can modify the workspace location using VS Code Settings.

To access VS Code extension settings, click the cog wheel icon in the bottom of the activity bar

macOS Default

  • The default directory is the user’s home directory.
    "ims.explorer.property.ImsWorkspace": "/Users/<username>/.vscode/ims-workspace"

Windows Default

  • The default directory is the current user profile directory.
    "ims.explorer.property.ImsWorkspace": "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\.vscode\ims-workspace"

Expansion warning limit

Specifies the number of items after which a warning is shown before loading a large list in the tree view.

"ims.explorer.treeView.ExpansionWarningLimit": 500