Navigation
Home Page and MDOpen Panel
After logging in, you are taken to the MDOpen Home Page within VS Code, which provides a familiar coding workspace alongside dedicated IBM i tools.
The left-hand sidebar now displays the MDOpen Explorer Panel, your central hub for managing development artifacts and IBM i resources.
Info
The Explorer Panel organizes your IBM i development workspace, providing quick access to connected projects, active requests, and test tools.
MDOpen Explorer Panel - Left Sidebar Tree Structure
The tree presents expandable sections such as:
- Projects
- Tasks
- Active / Installed RFPs
- Object Requests
- Distribution
- Time Entry
- MDTest
- MDVisual
Each section organizes items or filters (like Filter1, Filter2, etc.), project artifacts, and programming resources such as programs, modules, SQL routines, and source members.
Figure: MDOpen Home Page within VS Code
MDOpen Settings
The MDOpen Settings screen allows users to configure logging, payload storage, and network write preferences for the MDOpen extension.
!!! tip Why Use MDOpen Settings? These settings help developers and administrators monitor extension behavior, debug issues, and manage temporary data efficiently.
Info
The MDOpen Settings screen opens when you click the settings or icon next to your active MDOpen Connection in the left-hand sidebar.
Refer to the screenshot below for a visual reference.
Figure: MDOpen Settings dialog accessed from the gear icon beside the MDOpen connection.
Key Configuration Options
Logging Level
- Description: Determines the verbosity of log outputs.
- Values:
1– Error messages only2– Informational messages3– Debug-level details
Note
Enter the desired log level number to control how much detail appears in logs.
- Additional Options:
- Log JSON payloads – Enables saving request/response payloads in JSON format for troubleshooting.
- Delete JSON payload files – Clears all previously stored payload files.
Path to JSON Payload Folder
Description: Defines the directory path where MDOpen will store JSON payload logs.
Usage: - Enter or browse (Choose folder) to select a folder for saving payload files.
- Ensure the folder has proper write permissions.
JSON Write Duration (in minutes)
- Description: Sets the interval at which JSON payload data is written to disk.
- Default Example:
15000minutes
Tip
Adjust this duration based on how frequently you want payload data flushed to storage.
Network Logging
- Description:
- Log network requests/responses – Enables capturing network-level details for diagnostics.
- Delete network requests/responses files – Deletes previously saved network logs.
Path to Network Request/Response Folder
- Description: Specifies where network logs should be saved.
- Usage: Use the Choose folder button to define a location for storing network data.
Network Write Duration (in minutes)
- Description: Defines the frequency at which network log data is written to disk.
- Example Value:
15minutes.
Save Button
Success
Click Save to apply and persist all modified settings.
Tip
Use debug logging (3) only during development or troubleshooting sessions — it may generate large log files.
For routine use, info (2) provides a balanced level of detail.
