Mainframe sessions and job output next to your code in VS Code
The WND Terminal extension puts 3270, 5250 and UNIX sessions in a VS Code panel. Submit the JCL you’re editing, read its output beside it, and look up an abend without leaving the editor.
The WND Terminal extension (wndsoftware.wnd-terminal) runs WND Terminal in a VS Code panel, with the same screen, keyboard, macros, file transfer, Explain and Ask WND as the desktop app. It opens sessions from .wnd files in your project or from your Zowe profiles, submits JCL and shows the output, and explains the code under the cursor. It uses your WND Terminal license and your organization’s policy.
The editor and the host, side by side
On a small screen, swipe the table to read all columns.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| WND: Open session | Lists the connections in .wnd files in your workspace and each z/OS system in your Zowe profiles, and connects in the WND Terminal panel. |
| WND: Submit JCL and show output | Submits the JCL in the editor, or the selected lines, through the host’s FTP server. When the job ends, its output opens beside it, with how it ended on the first line. |
| WND: Explain code under cursor | Explains the abend, CICS abend, message ID or SQLCODE under the cursor, in JCL, a job log or your comments, from the built-in reference. No AI is used. |
| WND: Ask WND | Asks a question about the session in the panel. Ask WND looks at the screens, pages through the job log and answers. |
Check in a .wnd file with your code
A .wnd file is JSON, so the connection lives next to the code that runs on that system. Only host is needed, and VS Code checks the file as you type.
Never put a password in it. WND Terminal asks when it connects.
{
"name": "Production",
"host": "mvs.example.com",
"port": 992,
"secure": true,
"model": 2,
"codePage": 1047,
"ftp": { "user": "IBMUSER" }
}An engine on your computer, under your organization’s policy
The panel isn’t a web page from the internet. The extension starts WND Terminal’s engine on your computer and shows its screen in the panel.
- The engine listens only on 127.0.0.1, with a new random token each time it starts.
- Only the VS Code panel can show the engine’s page.
- It reads your computer’s WND Terminal policy, so your organization’s rules hold in VS Code.
- Ask WND keeps its rules here too. It’s read-only by default, and sensitive values are masked before anything is sent.
- It stops when VS Code closes, and closes its sessions.
Questions about the VS Code extension
Which VS Code versions does it run on?
VS Code 1.90 or later, on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Does it need the desktop app?
No. The extension starts WND Terminal’s engine on your computer and uses the same license and policy as the desktop app.
Does WND Terminal Free work in VS Code?
Yes, on your own computer, with its usual limits. It doesn’t count on a computer an organization manages.
Is my mainframe password saved?
No. Submit JCL asks for your password and never saves it. WND Terminal asks for it when it connects, so it never goes in a .wnd file.
Works well with
Bring the mainframe into your editor.
Install the extension on your own computer with WND Terminal Free, or try it with your team in a proof of value.