Library list & current library

Every CL command, compile and member transfer runs in a fresh IBM i job. By default that job gets the library list of your user profile's job description. To compile programs that use /COPY members, files or service programs from other libraries, add those libraries to the extension's Library List.

The Library List node

Each IBM i connection has a Library List node:

Library List
  ├─ DEVLIB      current library
  ├─ APPLIB      #1
  ├─ UTILLIB     #2
  └─ DATALIB     #3

Action	How
Add libraries	Click + on Library List and type names separated by spaces or commas; or right-click a library under Libraries → Add to Library List
Reorder	↑ / ↓ icons on an entry. #1 is searched first.
Remove	− icon on an entry
Set the current library	Right-click a library (under Libraries or Library List) → Set as Current Library, or right-click Library List → Set as Current Library and type a name
Clear the current library	× icon on the current library

How it is applied

When the list or the current library is set, commands run through Qshell:

liblist -c DEVLIB                 # current library
liblist -a DATALIB UTILLIB APPLIB # added so that APPLIB ends up first
system 'CRTBNDRPG PGM(DEVLIB/MYPGM) …'

liblist changes the Qshell job's library list, and the CL command inherits it. This applies to Run CL Command, Compile, object actions, and member open/save.

SQL is not affected: it uses SQL naming, so qualify tables as LIB.TABLE.

Check it

Run the CL command DSPLIBL OUTPUT(*PRINT). The output shows the library list the extension uses.