We’ve already explored how /COPY and /INCLUDE work in RPGLE, and we’ve looked at how the INCLUDE command fits into CLLE development. Now it’s time to bring those concepts together in a practical, real‑world example inside Visual Studio Code for IBM i.
In this walkthrough, I demonstrate how to use copybooks effectively in both RPGLE and CLLE while working in VS Code. This session builds on earlier tutorials, showing how these directives behave in a modern development workflow and how to organize them cleanly within your project structure.
What You’ll Learn
🔹 Copybooks
Reusable building blocks—data structures, prototypes, constants, and more—that you can share across multiple programs.
🔹 /COPY vs /INCLUDE
- /COPY: The classic directive, still widely used in RPGLE.
- /INCLUDE: The modern, free‑format‑friendly option for both RPGLE and CLLE.
VS Code Integration Highlights
- How to structure and store your copybooks in project folders
- How to reference them correctly from your source members
- How to compile programs that use copybooks using TOBi (formerly Bob)
Join me while I walk through using a real-world example in Visual Studio Code for IBM i more