Automation Studio Code – What Are the First Real User Experiences?

[kovarj (Jaroslav Kovar)]

Hello BRCommunity ,

week ago, beta version of Automation Studio Code was released.

There is a lot of buzz about it, as well as huge expectations. I know it’s still a BETA version and that there’s a long way to go, but I’d like to hear from you — your first real user experiences. What do you think about it? Is it the right way to go? What do you like? What are you missing?

To encourage you, let’s start with a short survey. Have you already installed Automation Studio Code?

• We’ve installed AS Code and are using it regularly.
• We’ve installed AS Code for testing, but we’re not using it regularly.
• We haven’t installed AS Code yet, but we’d like to.
• We’re not interested — Automation Studio is enough for us.

Curious about the results and I will really appreciate any comments.

Jaroslav

[Jonas_Keller (keljo)]

Hello Jaroslav

I was waiting for AS Code since it has been announced last year. I’m working in PLC and backend development, so it was always a pain to use Automation Studio when I use modern IDE’s the rest of the day.
In our PLC we are mixing ST and C code.
My first findings from AS Code:

• I did not find an easy way to jump between ST and C files. In Automation Studio there are “jump to implementation / declaration / definition” and I did not find anything similar in AS Code.
• Opening of a file can be slow or it won’t open
• The support of ST code (syntax checking, autocompletion, shortcuts) is not that good at the moment
• Compiling and transfer of a project takes way longer on my system than with Automation Studio.

I really think AS Code is the right way and a good thing for the future. But it needs improvements to become a good alternative to Automation Studio.

Greetings Jonas

[kovarj (Jaroslav Kovar)]

Thanks @Jonas_Keller, I really appreciate your honest feedback. Just so you know, even if it doesn’t always seem that way, members of the B&R Community are product and component owners as well. So everything mentioned here can be taken as feedback from real users, which is always valuable. What about the others?

[hubert.brunner]

I just installed AS Code but haven’t worked with it yet. Without having studied it in detail, I’m asking myself the following question.

During an Automation Studio training course, I’m learning the basic steps for project creation, configuration, and initial commissioning of a controller. Who is AS Code aimed at? And what do I need to learn in addition to using Automation Studio to be able to use AS Code efficiently? Or to put it another way, what course content (AS Help, Community, e-learning) should be available, and who is it aimed at?

Regards, Hubert

[seunghwa (Seunghwa Hyun)]

Not an Automation Studio Code, but related to…I wish there was an option to turn off the ‘Please open in Automation Studio Code to edit’ area in the code editor of Automation Studio.

I think it’s better to right-click program.st and move it through the Open as Automation Studio Code option.

[holzs (Stefan Holz)]

Hi,

I personally really like the extension “gitgraph” in VisualStudioCode.
So I installed it in AsCode as well, but it behaves a little differently:

In VsCode It looks like this:

The new Icon appears in the “REPOSITORIES” Tab to open the Graph View of the Repository.

In AsCode it looks like this:

As you can see, there is no “REPOSITORIES” Tab, therefore no icon and also no “GRAPH” Tab…
Am I doing something wrong?

Is there a way to include this in future versions of AsCode?

best regards
Stefan

[ballazr (Rémi Ballaz)]

Hi,
I usually use this button to open gitgraph in VS code as well as AS Code

But you are right there are some differences, also in the git integration the commit, push button are not so convenient as VSC

Please note that there is hidden button to open gitgraph here (next to the commit button)

[holzs (Stefan Holz)]

Hi Rémi,

thanks for the tip, I did not see the invisible button