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Script Console

The Flint Script Console is a live Jython REPL inside VS Code that executes code on a real Ignition interpreter — the same ScriptManager your Designer and Gateway use, with full access to system.* functions, tags, named queries, and project scripts. It replaces round-trips to the Designer's built-in Script Console with a workflow that stays in your editor.

Prerequisites

The Script Console requires the Designer Bridge module installed on your gateway and a running, connected Designer. It does not work offline or with only a gateway API token. See Connecting a Designer and Module Installation.

Opening the console​

Open the console in any of these ways:

  • Run Flint: Open Ignition Script Console from the Command Palette.
  • Open the Flint panel at the bottom of VS Code and select the Script Console tab.

The console connects through the active Designer bridge session shown in the status bar. If no Designer is connected, connect one first with Flint: Connect to Designer.

Execution scopes​

The console can execute code in three scopes, selectable in the console toolbar:

ScopeWhere code runsNotes
DesignerThe connected Designer's Jython interpreterEquivalent to the Designer's own Script Console
GatewayThe gateway's Jython interpreterThe Designer proxies the request to the gateway
PerspectiveInside a live Perspective session contextRequires binding to a running session

When you select the Perspective scope, pickers prompt you to choose a live session, then a page, then a view. Your code then runs as if it were executing inside that session — session, page, and view context objects are available, and system.perspective.* functions target the bound session.

Persistent session state​

Variables, imports, and function definitions persist between executions within a console session, just like the Designer's Script Console. You can build up state across multiple runs:

# First execution
tags = system.tag.readBlocking(["[default]Pump/Speed"])

# Later execution — `tags` is still defined
print tags[0].value

The console also provides code completion as you type, backed by the connected Designer.

note

Ignition scripting is Jython 2.7 — Python 2 syntax applies (print statement, no f-strings).

Run in Flint​

To execute a whole file instead of typing into the console, right-click inside any open .py file in the editor and choose Run in Flint. The file's contents are sent to the console and executed in the currently selected scope.

Debugging from the console​

The console toolbar includes a debug toggle. With it enabled, the next execution starts a debug session instead of running straight through: breakpoints you have set in the script are honored, and VS Code's debugger UI (call stack, variables, stepping) takes over. See Debugger for details and Debugger Limitations for what is not supported.

Limitations
  • The console (in all scopes) executes the code you submit — an ad-hoc script buffer. It does not attach to scripts already running on the gateway or in a Perspective session, so you cannot intercept a live event handler with it. Breakpoints do trap into project script modules that your submitted code calls.
  • The Perspective scope requires a live session; if the session, page, or view closes, re-bind through the pickers.
  • Code blocked at a breakpoint holds the real executing thread until you continue or stop the session.