Fixed Format RPG - Change to format overlay

[a4ginatl]

Today I was editing a fixed format program and noticed the format overlay. Initially I loved it as it is needed. I do not write fixed format code and when I do (usually maintaining code), it has been difficult to find the positioning of the fields and op-codes.

The problem I have with it is, it overlays the previous line to the line being edited. The overlay is so confusing and is leading to errors as you cannot see the contents of the previous line.

I would like to suggest replacing the overlay over the previous line with "inserting" the format between the previous line and the line being edited.

Alternately, is there a key sequence to turn this feature on and off as required?

Thank you,
Darryl Freinkel

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⚠️ REMOVE THIS LINE AND ANY SENSITIVE INFORMATION BELOW! ⚠️

Context	Version
Code for IBM i version	2.14.5
Visual Studio Code version	1.96.0
Operating System	win32_x64

Active extensions

COBOL (cobol): 24.12.14
Code for IBM i Walkthroughs (vscode-ibmi-walkthroughs): 0.5.0
Configuration Editing (configuration-editing): 1.0.0
Db2 for IBM i (vscode-db2i): 1.7.0
Emmet (emmet): 1.0.0
Error Lens (errorlens): 3.21.0
Git (git): 1.0.0
Git Base (git-base): 1.0.0
GitHub (github): 0.0.1
GitHub Authentication (github-authentication): 0.0.2
IBM i Debug (ibmidebug): 2.0.2
IBM i Project Explorer (vscode-ibmi-projectexplorer): 2.12.0
JSON Language Features (json-language-features): 1.0.0
Merge Conflict (merge-conflict): 1.0.0
Node Debug Auto-attach (debug-auto-launch): 1.0.0
RPGLE (vscode-rpgle): 0.28.2
Source Orbit (vscode-sourceorbit): 1.0.2
TODO Highlight (vscode-todo-highlight): 1.0.5
TypeScript and JavaScript Language Features (typescript-language-features): 1.0.0

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Remote system

Setting	Value
IBM i OS	V7R4M0
Tech Refresh	9
CCSID Origin	65535
Runtime CCSID	65535
Default CCSID	37
SSHD CCSID	?
cqsh	true
SQL	Enabled
Source dates	Enabled

Enabled features

/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin	/usr/bin	/QSYS.lib/ILEDITOR.lib	/QSYS.LIB	/QIBM/ProdData/IBMiDebugService/bin	/QOpenSys/QIBM/ProdData/JavaVM/jdk80	/QOpenSys/QIBM/ProdData/JavaVM/jdk11
bash	attr	GETNEWLIBL.PGM	QZDFMDB2.PGM	startDebugService.sh	64bit	64bit
chsh	iconv
grep	setccsid
ls	tar
md5sum	uname
sort
stat
tn5250

Shell env

BUILDLIB=QGPL
CURLIB=QGPL
HOME=/home/dfreinkel
HOST=172.17.72.21
LIBLS=QRYLIB DPSRCLIB DPOBJLIB DPPDATA QGPL QTEMP OPRUTLLIB DFREINKEL
LOGIN=dfreinkel
LOGNAME=dfreinkel
MAIL=/var/spool/mail/dfreinkel
OLDPWD=/home/DFREINKEL
PASE_USRGRP_LIMITED=N
PATH=/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin:/QOpenSys/usr/bin:/usr/ccs/bin:/QOpenSys/usr/bin/X11:/usr/sbin:.:/usr/bin
PWD=/home/dfreinkel
SHELL=/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin/bash
SHLVL=1
SSH_CLIENT=10.27.230.188 53514 22
SSH_CONNECTION=10.27.230.188 53514 172.17.72.21 22
TZ=<EST>5<EDT>,M3.2.0,M11.1.0
USER=dfreinkel
USERNAME=DFREINKEL
WORKDIR=/home/dfreinkel
_=/QOpenSys/pkgs/bin/env

Variants

{
  "american": "#@$",
  "local": "#@$",
  "qsysNameRegex": {}
}

[worksofliam]

@a4ginatl sadly it's not possible to insert between lines so we had to implement as an overlay.

Yes, you can change the enabled default in the VS Code settings. The shortcut on windows is Shift+F4

[heymchri]

@worksofliam nice feature! Any way we can get this on non-ILE RPG?

[worksofliam]

@heymchri if you want to send me all the rulers you want supported for OPM RPM, I can look into it - thanks!

[heymchri]

@worksofliam here's a (partial) list for OPM RPG:
(the characters before the : is the ID of that format in SEU)

H : .....H........1..CDYI....S..............1.F...............................Pgm-id

FX: .....FFilenameIPEAF........L..I........Device+......KExit++Entry+A....U1........
FC: .....F............Ext-record..................RcdnbrKOptionEntry+++.............

E : .....E....FromfileTofile++Name++N/rN/tbLenPDSArrnamLenPDSComments+++++++++......

L : .....LFilename066Fl060Ol........................................................

DS: .....IDsname....NODsExt-file++.............OccrLen+.............................
JX: .....I..............Ext-field+......................Field+L1M1..PlMnZr..........
I : .....IFilenameSqNORiPos1NCCPos2NCCPos3NCC.......................................
J : .....I....................................PFromTo++DField+L1M1FrPlMnZr..........
N : .....I..............Namedconstant+++++++++C.........Fldnme......................

C : .....CL0N01N02N03Factor1+++OpcdeFactor2+++ResultLenDHHiLoEqComments+++++++......

O : .....OName++++DFBASbSaN01N02N03Excnam...........................................
P : .....O................N01N02N03Field+YBEnd+PConstant/editword+++++++++..........

One other thing I noticed - if the 'Source Dates in Gutter' setting is on, the ruler is not in line with the code: