Encoding Rules

Automatically open files with the correct encoding based on their file path.

When VS Code doesn't reliably detect the encoding of a file, create a path-based rule and let Encoding Rules remember it.

Useful for legacy projects, imported files, and repositories containing a mix of UTF-8 and non-UTF-8 text files.

Features

• Automatically detects matching files when they are opened.
• Applies a configured encoding based on file path patterns.
• Works with path-based rules using glob patterns.
• Helps with legacy files that need a specific encoding.
• Keeps encoding decisions in VS Code settings.

Commands

Encoding Rules provides the following commands through the VS Code Command Palette.

You can run these commands by opening the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) and searching for Encoding Rules.

Configuration

Add encoding rules in your VS Code settings:

{
  "encodingRules.rules": {
    "windows1257": [
      "**/legacy/**"
    ],
    "utf8": [
      "**/*.txt"
    ]
  }
}

Each rule contains:

Supported Encodings

Supported encodings depend on VS Code's built-in encoding support.

Common examples:

• utf8
• utf8bom
• windows1252
• shiftjis
• gbk
• gb18030

Glob Patterns

Rules use glob patterns to match files.

Examples:

Match all text files

**/*.txt

Matches all .txt files.

Match files in a folder

**/legacy/**

Matches all files inside folders named legacy.

Match files inside a source folder

src/**/*.c

Matches C files inside src and its subfolders.

Why?

Many projects still contain files created with older tools and different character encodings.

Manually selecting:

File → Reopen with Encoding

every time a file is opened is repetitive and easy to forget.

Encoding Rules lets you define these choices once.

Known Limitations

• Encoding detection is not performed. Rules are based on file paths.
• Incorrect rules may cause files to be opened with the wrong encoding.
• Some VS Code internal documents may not have normal file paths.
• The extension does not modify file contents; it only controls how files are opened.

Support

If Encoding Rules saves you time, consider supporting development:

License

MIT License