FixedWidth Forge: Logistics Data Parser

FixedWidth Forge (FW Forge) enables high-speed previewing and table-based exploration of legacy fixed-width and flat-file formats (COBOL, EDI, ERP/Mainframe exports) directly in VS Code. Simply define a YAML layout file to parse and visualize complex data structures without enterprise bloat.

Stop guessing what those legacy mainframe/ERP flat files contain. FixedWidth Forge (FW Forge) brings high-speed data previewing directly into your VS Code workflow.

Designed specifically for logistics, warehousing, and supply chain data, this tool parses complex fixed-width flat files (.txt, .fwf) and displays them as clean, readable tables based on your schema.

Features

Instant Preview: Right-click any text file in the explorer to preview it as a table.
Schema-Driven: Uses your layout.yaml to parse files accurately.
Configurable: Define the path to your fwforge CLI if it's not in your global PATH.
Logistics Optimized: Perfect for parsing EDI-850, COBOL exports, shipment manifests, and AS/400 reports.

Getting Started

1. Prerequisites

You must have the FW Forge CLI installed:

pip install fwforge

2. Configure Your Layout

Place a layout.yaml file in the same directory as the data file you want to preview. Example:

name: "Shipment-Manifest"
columns:
  - name: "carrier_code"
    start: 0
    length: 5
    type: "string"
  - name: "weight"
    start: 20
    length: 10
    type: "float"

3. Usage

Right-click any .txt or .fwf file in the VS Code Explorer.
Select "FW Forge: Preview as Table".
If a layout.yaml is not found, you will be prompted to select one.

Configuration

If the fwforge CLI is not in your global path, you can set the path in your VS Code settings: "fwforge.cliPath": "/absolute/path/to/your/fwforge/bin/fwforge"

Built for logistics engineers who need data visibility, not enterprise bloat.