You can run a compile command on an IBM® i server from the Remote System Explorer perspective, and you can retrieve error feedback from the compilation. When you compile, the workbench determines the member type, and then runs the last used compile command for that type. However, you can always change this behavior through Remote Systems preferences (see the related links).
You can also select multiple members from any source file from any library in your connection by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on all the members you want to compile. Then right-click to access the compile menu. Note that the workbench determines what order to compile multiple members, also controlled through the preferences. For example, you would most likely want to compile a DSPF member before a RPG member that depends on the result of the DSPF member compilation.
A compile command is an identifier and is always associated with a source member type. A command string is the entire command that will be run on the server, for example, CRTRPGPGM PGM(MYLIB/MYPROG) SRCFILE(MYLIB/MYSRC) SRCMBR(MYMBR). A command string is identified with a compile command. Each profile in the Remote System Explorer has a set of source member types, and each source type has a set of compile names associated with them. You can add source types to a profile and add compile commands to a source type.
Compile commands can be defined per member type (QSYS native file system) or file type (hierarchical integrated file system), and IBM supplies a number of default compile commands for common member and file types. Compile commands can also be shared using team support.
See the related topics below for more information.