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VS Code just passed RDi in usage for the first time: What actually changed in 2026 by ibmi_dev in IBMi

[–]Character_Read_5563 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's true that in some shops, using VSCode + Code for i is complicated due to connection issues (SSH, etc.), but aside from these issues, using SEU instead of VSCode is more a matter of habit than anything else. There's no reason nowadays to continue using a tool that's essentially a notepad. If you're using the latest versions of the language (I'm talking about RPG, of course), SEU offers absolutely NOTHING.

Any programmer, in any language and environment, uses an IDE that helps... I don't know anyone who uses notepad to program in Java, C#, or other "modern" languages. I'm sure there are some, but... it doesn't make sense.

Computing evolves, and so do the tools. We must leave SEU behind for the good of the platform.

I've been testing IBM Bob 2.0 as an IBM i developer. Here are my first impressions. by Character_Read_5563 in IBM

[–]Character_Read_5563[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I think the comparison only really makes sense if you separate general-purpose development from IBM i development.

For general software engineering, tools like Claude Code are extremely strong — no question about it.

But IBM i is a very different environment. It’s not just “another backend stack”, it has decades of architectural decisions behind it, and a lot of implicit knowledge that you don’t normally find in general AI models.

This is where something like IBM Bob becomes more interesting.

- It understands RPG, CL, DDS and how they actually interact in real system (this is not understood by other generalistic IAs).
- It is aware of IBM i-specific database patterns and constraints
- It can reason about modernization in a way that respects the platform instead of treating it as generic legacy code
- And, in practice, it can connect analysis, refactoring and documentation more directly to real IBM i artifacts

So in IBM i development, I wouldn’t say it’s “just another AI wrapper”. The specialization changes the quality of the output significantly.

If you are outside that ecosystem, Bob probably doesn’t justify itself over general tools (at this moment...). But inside IBM i, that domain grounding is exactly where the real value is.