USS issues with Zowe Explorer 3.5

Products

• Brightside

Issue/Introduction

User  encountered  two issues with Zowe Explorer following the update to version 3.5. These features functioned correctly in previous versions and through ISPF.

1. File Access Errors: When attempting to open certain .py files, receive the error: "The file is not displayed in the text editor because it is a directory." While I can occasionally open copies or duplicates of these files, the issue eventually recurs for the new files as well.

2. Directory Access Denied: When accessing specific directories on a different plex, receive an "access denied" error and no directories are displayed. This also causes directories under other active connections to become hidden.

Environment

ZOWE Explorer v3.5 

Vscode Extension

Cause

The issue was actually caused by a combination of two specific bugs in how the extension was handling Unix System Services (USS):

In certain scenarios, when a file was requested, the system returned a full absolute path. The extension incorrectly interpreted this format as a directory rather than a flat file, resulting in the directory errors observed in the editor.

Additionally, If a user lacked permission to access a directory or any of its subfolders, the extension failed to expand the structure. This issue also caused directories under other connections to be inadvertently hidden within the USS view.

Resolution

Upgrade to ZOWE explorer v3.6 when it's available. 

Development team updated the logic for the next release so the extension now correctly identifies file types regardless of the path format, and avoids restricted folders from breaking the USS view.