Remain Ai Chat
A free ChatGPT-based coding assistant plugin from Dutch vendor Remain Software for Eclipse-based IBM i development tools, Rational Developer for i (RDi) and Remain's own MiWorkplace, launched in May 2023 as one of the earliest AI coding aids for RPG and COBOL on IBM i.
What it does in your IDE
- Suggests code based on what you are working on
- Checks for bugs
- Proposes documentation
- Covers free-format RPG and COBOL
What it costs to run
It calls the OpenAI ChatGPT API directly. Each user supplies their own API token and organization key. Remain CTO Wim Jongman said the company's own test use cost about $0.35.
How it compares with agent tools
| Tool | What kind of help |
|---|---|
| Remain Ai Chat | A chat panel added to Eclipse. Suggestions you act on |
| IBM Bob, CoderFlow | Full coding agents that do the work |
Remain gives it away as freeware on GitHub. It is not published as open source.
Related Terms
IBM i
IBM's operating system for Power servers running traditional AS/400-lineage business applications, with Db2 for i built directly into the OS.
Free-Format RPG
A modern RPG coding style that drops the rigid column-based syntax of traditional fixed-format RPG in favor of freer, more readable statement syntax.
COBOL
A long-established business programming language still running production logic on IBM i and other legacy enterprise platforms alongside RPG.
IBM Bob (Project Bob)
IBM's generally available AI coding agent for IBM i, built as a fork of Visual Studio Code and tuned for RPG, CL, DDS, and SQL. Reached GA on March 24, 2026; Bob 2.0 and the IBM i-specific Bob Premium Package for i shipped June 24, 2026.
CoderFlow
CoderFlow puts several AI agents to work on the same IBM i coding task, then keeps the result that actually compiles and passes tests. Built by Profound Logic for RPG, COBOL and CL, it writes, compiles, tests and fixes code instead of only suggesting it.