File Encoding Display for Visual Studio 2022

File Encoding Display is a lightweight, zero-configuration extension for Visual Studio 2022. It fills the gap in the native interface by displaying the character encoding (e.g., UTF-8, GB2312) of the currently active file directly in the Status Bar at the bottom of the editor.

This tool is essential for developers who frequently deal with legacy code, cross-platform projects, or encoding mismatches.

✨ Features

• 📊 Real-time Monitoring: Automatically monitors window switching events and updates the current file's encoding information in real-time.

• 📍 Seamless Integration: Located on the right side of the status bar (next to the line/column number), it blends perfectly with the native UI without taking up valuable workspace.

• 🎨 Smart Coloring: Quickly distinguish encoding types through color indicators:

• 🚀 Lightweight & Fast: Built on the Visual Studio AsyncPackage API to ensure zero impact on IDE startup time and performance.

📸 Screenshots

🛠️ Installation & Usage

Install via Visual Studio

1. Open Visual Studio 2022.
2. Go to Extensions -> Manage Extensions.
3. Search for File Encoding Display.
4. Click Download and restart Visual Studio.

💡 Usage

No configuration is required after installation.

1. Open any code file (.cs, .cpp, .txt, .json, etc.).
2. When the window is active, look at the bottom right status bar of the VS window.
3. You will see an indicator like UTF-8 or GB2312 (936).

❓ FAQ

Q: Why is the displayed encoding different from what I expected?

A: This extension reads the property of the internal Visual Studio TextDocument. If VS incorrectly guesses the encoding when opening a file (causing garbled text), this indicator will show what VS currently believes the encoding is.

Q: Can I click it to change the encoding?

A: The current version only provides display functionality. To convert encoding, please use the native VS feature: File -> Save As -> Small arrow next to Save button -> Save with Encoding.

📝 Changelog

v1.0.0

• 🎉 Initial release.
• Support for right-side status bar docking.
• Added color differentiation for common encodings (UTF-8, GB2312, ASCII).

License

MIT License

Feedback

If you encounter any issues or have feature suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment in the Q&A section.