Collection of tasks for AX Code

This repository provides a collection of different tasks to control SIMATIC AX, to make repetitive tasks easier and independent of the CLI.

Installation

In VSCode all tasks are defined in tasks.json files. It is possible to:

• Use a central tasks.json file (C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\AX Code\User\tasks.json),
• Use a tasks.json file per profile (C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\AX Code\User\profiles\PROFILE-ID\tasks.json),
• Use a tasks.json file in the workspace (Workspace-Directory\.vscode\tasks.json)

More info about tasks in VSCode: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/tasks

Note that a workspace-tasks-file can be combined with a central or a profile-specific tasks-file. It is not possible to use a central and a profile-specific tasks-file at the same time.

The provided task files are meant as templates for your own task files. It is up to you how to use them.

Central tasks.json

If you prefer a central tasks.json file, download the repository and copy the file in the "general" folder to C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\AX Code\User\tasks.json

Profile-specific tasks.json

Since the tasks differ depending on the workflow you are working in (TIAX Library, TIAX Direct Loading, AX IT-like Engineering), it is recommended to create 3 different profiles in AX, copy the tasks.json files from the different folders in the repository into your profile folders (C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\AX Code\User\profiles\PROFILE-ID\tasks.json).

More info about profiles in VSCode: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/profiles

Workspace-specific tasks.json

If you don't want to work with profiles but still want to have different tasks available depending on the workflow you are working in, you can copy the tasks.json from the different folders in the repository into your workspace into .vscode\tasks.json

This folder/file can also be integrated into your own project templates in order to have them available automatically in every project.

Using the tasks

When the tasks.json file is placed correcty, you can call the tasks by pressing F1, navigating to "Run Task", and selecting the task you want to run.

There are extension such as Task Manager, that can be found and installed directly in SIMATIC AX. This extension e.g. automatically detects all tasks and shows them in an alphabetical list where they can also be run. You can also drag and drop the extension to other areas of the IDE or into other extensions like the APAX package manager extension to have your workspace better organized:

Customizations

Feel free to modify the tasks.json files. To change the default values of the input fields, modify the values "default" at the inputs section.

  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "ipAddress",
      "description": "The target PLC IP address",
      "default": "192.168.0.1"
    }
  ]

To modify other environment variables used, change them in the "options" sections:

    "options": {
      "env": {
          "tiapPath": "C:/Program Files/Siemens/Automation/Portal V19"
      }
    },

Limitations

• The tasks for the IT-like engineering workflow are configured for secure communication with certificate and password. You need to change them accordingly if you want to use UMAC with username and password.
• The tasks for the TIAX workflows do not include secure communication. You need to add that manually if you need it (See tasks in IT-like engineering workflow folder).

Known Issues

• For the task "HWCN | Setup | Certificates | Create" you need a script in your apax.yml called "create_certificate". This script and the corresponding .sh-file it calls can be found in the it-like-engineering template.

Contribution

Thanks for your interest in contributing. Anybody is free to report bugs, unclear documentation, and other problems regarding this repository in the Issues section or, even better, is free to propose any changes to this repository using Merge Requests.

License and Legal information

Please read the Legal information