Encoding Guard
Encoding Guard is a VS Code extension that automatically detects and applies the correct file encoding when you open files, so text is never garbled in mixed-encoding projects.
How it works
- Pattern matching — Map file patterns to encodings via
encoding-guard.patternMap. Patterns are matched by specificity:
- Exact paths (e.g.,
data/report.csv) — highest priority, specific file overrides
- Glob patterns (e.g.,
src/**/*.xml, **/*.csv) — medium priority, more specific globs win over less specific
- Extension shorthand (e.g.,
.csv) — lowest priority, acts as default for all matching extensions
- XML declaration — For any file that starts with
<?xml ... encoding="..."?>, Encoding Guard reads the declared encoding and silently reopens the file with the correct encoding if VS Code opened it with a different one.
Priority order: patternMap (by specificity) → XML declaration → no action.
Configuration
The easiest way to configure encodings is via the right-click context menu in the Explorer or editor — select Encoding Guard → Set Extension Encoding... or Set File Encoding....
Or edit settings manually:
// Unified pattern map: exact paths, globs, or extension shorthand
// Patterns are matched by specificity: exact paths > globs (more specific first) > extensions
"encoding-guard.patternMap": {
".csv": "windows1252", // Default: all .csv files
"**/*.arxml": "utf8", // All .arxml files across directories
"data/legacy/**/*.txt": "iso88591", // Specific subdirectory
"config/old-report.csv": "cp1252" // Override: this specific file
}
- Settings are resource-scoped: you can set different values per workspace folder.
Files with an <?xml ... encoding="..."?> declaration are handled automatically — no mapping required.
Right-click any file in the Explorer or editor to access the Encoding Guard submenu:
| Item |
Action |
| Set Extension Encoding... |
Pick an encoding and apply it to all files with this extension (adds .ext to patternMap) |
| Set File Encoding... |
Pick an encoding and pin it to this specific file (adds exact path to patternMap) |
| Open Encoding Guard Settings |
Open VS Code Settings filtered to Encoding Guard |
Issues
Found a bug or want to request a feature? Please open an issue: Issues
Include a short description, steps to reproduce, and sample files when possible.
