Cybus Connectware Extension (VS Code)

VS Code extension for editing and validating Cybus Connectware service commissioning files.

The Cybus Connectware Extension provides YAML language support for Visual Studio Code when working with service commissioning files. Designed for developers and engineers working with YAML-based Connectware configurations, it provides schema validation, autocompletion, and inline documentation to support authoring Connectware configuration files.

Cybus Connectware Extension for VS Code is currently in the beta stage. Always validate results using your established development and testing processes.

Questions or issues? Contact: [email protected]

Cybus Connectware Extension for VS Code

Cybus Connectware Extension for VS Code is available on the VS Code Marketplace.

Key Features

• Schema-aware Validation & Linting: Real-time validation against official Cybus schemas. Errors and warnings appear in VS Code's Problems view so issues are visible in the editor before deployment.

• Intelligent Autocompletion: Suggestions for valid YAML structures, attributes, and values based on the cursor position and active schema.

• Inline Documentation: Hover over configuration elements to view descriptions and direct links to the official Cybus documentation without leaving your editor.

• Snippets & Templates: Create new services quickly using predefined snippets and example templates for common configurations.

Supported File Patterns

The extension automatically recognizes the following file patterns:

• *.scf.yaml, *.scf.yml, *.scf

• *.cw.yaml, *.cw.yml

• */connectware/scf*/*.yaml

Getting Started

1. Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace.

2. Open a service commissioning file matching any of the supported file patterns.

3. Start typing. The extension provides autocompletion and validation as you edit the file.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Windows / Linux	Mac
Trigger autocomplete	Ctrl+Space	Option+Esc
Open Command Palette	Ctrl+Shift+P	Cmd+Shift+P
Use Quick Fix	Ctrl+.	Cmd+.
Open Problems panel	Ctrl+Shift+M	Cmd+Shift+M
Show hover info	Ctrl+K Ctrl+I	Cmd+K Cmd+I

Snippets & Templates

Type these prefixes and trigger autocomplete to insert templates:

Service Templates

Prefix	Description
template:opcua:bridge:read	OPC UA read bridge
template:modbus:bridge:read	Modbus read bridge
template:s7:bridge:read-write	S7 read/write bridge
template:mqtt:bridge:publisher-tls	MQTT TLS publisher
template:influxdb:app:deploy	InfluxDB deployment
template:grafana:app:deploy	Grafana deployment

Resource Snippets

Prefix	Description
snippet:opcua:resource:connection	OPC UA connection
snippet:modbus:resource:connection	Modbus connection
snippet:mqtt:resource:endpoint-subscribe	MQTT subscribe endpoint

Type template: or snippet: and browse all options with autocomplete.

Tips & Tricks

Reference Resources with !ref

Example

connection: !ref myOpcuaConnection

String Substitution with !sub

Example

topic: !sub 'devices/${deviceId}/data'

Show Object Examples (Not Just Properties)

Place your cursor after the space following a colon and trigger autocomplete to see full object examples or available object properties.

Show object examples

Anyobject: # ← cursor here, then Ctrl + Space (Windows/Linux) or Option + Esc (Mac) → shows full object examples

Show object properties

Anyobject:
  # ← cursor here, then Ctrl + Space (Windows/Linux) or Option + Esc (Mac) → shows available object properties

Best Practices

A practical way to create a Connectware service is to start from a template and customize it.

1

Create: Start with a Template

• Create a new file with .scf.yaml extension.

• Type template: and trigger autocomplete.

• Choose a template matching your use case (e.g., template:opcua:bridge:read).

• The template includes an example with all required sections.

2

Customize: Modify the Service

• Remove unused endpoints, mappings, or parameters (the linter will flag broken references).

• Add new resources: type snippet: to add connections, endpoints, mappings, etc.

• Reference existing resources with !ref resourceName.

• Modify values: update connection parameters, adjust endpoints, customize mappings.

3

Validate: Continuously Check for Errors

• Watch the Problems panel (Ctrl+Shift+M) for errors.

• Hover over red underlines to see error details.

• Use Quick Fix (Ctrl+.) for suggested corrections.

• Ensure all !ref references point to existing resources.

4

Deploy: Upload to Connectware

• Once validation passes, deploy the service to your Connectware instance.

We recommend to keep the template comments at first to understand each section, but remove them before deploying.

Example: Building an OPC UA to MQTT Bridge

# 1. Started from: template:opcua:bridge:read
# 2. Customized: Changed IP, added second endpoint, modified mapping

description: OPC UA to MQTT Bridge

parameters:
  opcuaHost:
    type: string
    default: '192.168.1.100' # ← Modified for my PLC

resources:
  opcuaConnection:
    type: Cybus::Connection
    properties:
      protocol: Opcua
      connection:
        host: !ref opcuaHost
        port: 4840

  temperatureEndpoint: # ← Kept from template
    type: Cybus::Endpoint
    properties:
      protocol: Opcua
      connection: !ref opcuaConnection
      subscribe:
        nodeId: ns=2;s=Temperature

  pressureEndpoint: # ← Added using snippet
    type: Cybus::Endpoint
    properties:
      protocol: Opcua
      connection: !ref opcuaConnection
      subscribe:
        nodeId: ns=2;s=Pressure

  temperatureMapping:
    type: Cybus::Mapping
    properties:
      mappings:
        - subscribe:
            endpoint: !ref temperatureEndpoint
          publish:
            topic: 'plant/sensors/temperature'

Privacy

This extension does not collect or transmit any telemetry or usage data.

License

Cybus Connectware Extension is licensed under the MIT license.