As PDM and SEU continue to work towards being deprecated, the goal of the Work with IBM i project is to provide a FREE, Windows-based alternative for PDM developers who are beginning the journey of moving their development workflow off the green screen and onto the desktop.
While VS Code and RDi are both excellent development environments, having options matters—especially options that preserve editor freedom of choice and allow continued use of existing PDM user options.
Flexible Editor Support
With Work with IBM i, developers can use:
- The built-in internal editor
- VS Code
- Notepad
- Notepad++
- RDi (using a slightly modified workflow)
The software supports online and offline editing using virtually any Windows-based editor that accepts file names via the command line. Since Notepad++ is widely used in the IBM i community, this alone is a compelling reason for many developers to adopt Work with IBM i.
Another key advantage is that SSH is not required. Many shops prefer not to open SSH ports, and Work with IBM i works entirely through standard IBM i access ports.
Project Background
I originally started this project 4 years ago as a way to gain more experience with .NET Core WinForms, but it has proven to be far more useful than initially anticipated. The core application is completely FREE to use.
Purpose and Philosophy
The primary purpose of Work with IBM i is to provide a Windows-based replacement for PDM that looks and feels similar to PDM, allowing developers to work with IBM i source members without a 5250 green screen, while maintaining a familiar, PDM-like workflow.
The goal is simplicity:
Use the best editors available on the PC, keep existing processes where possible, and avoid forcing developers to learn an entirely new development model.
Git Integration with iForGit
Work with IBM i integrates with iForGit, the subscription-based Git source management solution for IBM i that I created.
Learn more:
The Work with IBM i client app provides direct access to iForGit CL commands, allowing you to commit changes to Git repositories directly from standard source physical files.
(An active iForGit annual subscription is required for versioning features.)
Editor Configuration Options
Although the application includes a built-in text editor, many developers prefer VS Code. Work with IBM i supports VS Code along with the Code for i syntax extensions.
You can configure separate editors and viewers if desired. Supported options include:
- Internal editor (default)
- Notepad
- Notepad++
- VS Code
- External workflows using RDi
Using RDi requires downloading source locally and editing outside the application. Detailed instructions are available here:
https://github.com/richardschoen/workwithibmipdm/blob/main/using_rdi_for_editing.md
PDM User Options Support
PDM user options are supported, provided they do not rely on a 5250 interface.
The default PDM options file is:
QGPL/QAUOOPT
This can be changed in the settings file, allowing you to reuse your existing PDM user option commands directly within Work with IBM i.
Offline Editing and Visual Feedback
The client tracks whether a source member has already been downloaded for offline editing and provides visual indicators in the UI. You can:
- Download source to your PC
- Edit it offline
- Upload changes once reconnected
This editing workflow enables productive development even when disconnected from the system.
Future Enhancements
As a future enhancement, .NET developers will be able to create custom alternatives to PDM user options using a C# plugin model.
Connectivity
❗ IBM i access ports used for communication:
- 446–449
- 8470–8479
No SSH access is required.
Getting Started
Getting started is simple:
- Download the application. Visit the GitHub site below to request access.
- Unzip it
- Launch it
- Enter your IBM i user profile, password, and host name or IP address
You’ll be connected and ready to start using PDM—on Windows.
Have fun, and please leave feedback or report issues on the GitHub project page.
https://github.com/richardschoen/workwithibmipdm
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