[FEATURE] i18n support: Chinese (zh-CN) localization for extension UI
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
- [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)
Problem Statement
The Claude Code VSCode extension UI is currently English-only. All strings in the composer, mode picker, tooltips, and status messages are hard-coded English.
For users whose primary working language is not English (e.g. developers in China), this creates friction:
- The mode picker (Ask before edits / Edit automatically / Plan mode / Auto mode) and its descriptions cannot be understood at a glance by beginners.
- VSCode itself supports display-language switching via
Configure Display Language, and most first-party extensions respectvscode.env.language. Claude Code does not — the panel stays in English even when the rest of the IDE is in Chinese. - Mixed-language UI increases cognitive load and slows down onboarding for non-English users.
Claude Code has a large and growing user base in China. Providing at least Simplified Chinese (zh-CN) localization would significantly improve accessibility.
Proposed Solution
Add internationalization (i18n) support to the Claude Code VSCode extension, starting with Simplified Chinese (zh-CN).
Implementation approach:
- Adopt VSCode's standard localization mechanism:
vscode.l10n.t(...)API orpackage.nls.<locale>.jsonbundles. - Detect locale from
vscode.env.language; fall back to English if the locale is unavailable. - Accept community translation contributions via PR so more locales can be added over time.
Suggested phase-1 scope — the strings visible in the composer / mode picker:
| English | 简体中文 |
|---|---|
| Modes | 模式 |
| Ask before edits | 编辑前询问 |
| Claude will ask for approval before making each edit | 每次编辑前 Claude 都会请求批准 |
| Edit automatically | 自动编辑 |
| Claude will edit your selected text or the whole file | Claude 会直接编辑所选文本或整个文件 |
| Plan mode | 规划模式 |
| Claude will explore the code and present a plan before editing | Claude 会先浏览代码并给出方案，再进行编辑 |
| Auto mode | 自动模式 |
| Claude will automatically choose the best permission mode for each task | Claude 会为每个任务自动选择合适的权限模式 |
| Effort (Extra high) | 推理强度（极高） |
| ctrl esc to focus or unfocus Claude | Ctrl+Esc 聚焦 / 取消聚焦 Claude |
| to switch | 切换 |
Happy to help review zh-CN translations if useful.
Alternative Solutions
Add internationalization (i18n) support to the Claude Code VSCode extension, starting with Simplified Chinese (zh-CN).
Implementation approach:
- Adopt VSCode's standard localization mechanism:
vscode.l10n.t(...)API orpackage.nls.<locale>.jsonbundles. - Detect locale from
vscode.env.language; fall back to English if the locale is unavailable. - Accept community translation contributions via PR so more locales can be added over time.
Suggested phase-1 scope — the strings visible in the composer / mode picker:
| English | 简体中文 |
|---|---|
| Modes | 模式 |
| Ask before edits | 编辑前询问 |
| Claude will ask for approval before making each edit | 每次编辑前 Claude 都会请求批准 |
| Edit automatically | 自动编辑 |
| Claude will edit your selected text or the whole file | Claude 会直接编辑所选文本或整个文件 |
| Plan mode | 规划模式 |
| Claude will explore the code and present a plan before editing | Claude 会先浏览代码并给出方案，再进行编辑 |
| Auto mode | 自动模式 |
| Claude will automatically choose the best permission mode for each task | Claude 会为每个任务自动选择合适的权限模式 |
| Effort (Extra high) | 推理强度（极高） |
| ctrl esc to focus or unfocus Claude | Ctrl+Esc 聚焦 / 取消聚焦 Claude |
| to switch | 切换 |
Happy to help review zh-CN translations if useful.
Add internationalization (i18n) support to the Claude Code VSCode extension, starting with Simplified Chinese (zh-CN).
Implementation approach:
- Adopt VSCode's standard localization mechanism:
vscode.l10n.t(...)API orpackage.nls.<locale>.jsonbundles. - Detect locale from
vscode.env.language; fall back to English if the locale is unavailable. - Accept community translation contributions via PR so more locales can be added over time.
Suggested phase-1 scope — the strings visible in the composer / mode picker:
| English | 简体中文 |
|---|---|
| Modes | 模式 |
| Ask before edits | 编辑前询问 |
| Claude will ask for approval before making each edit | 每次编辑前 Claude 都会请求批准 |
| Edit automatically | 自动编辑 |
| Claude will edit your selected text or the whole file | Claude 会直接编辑所选文本或整个文件 |
| Plan mode | 规划模式 |
| Claude will explore the code and present a plan before editing | Claude 会先浏览代码并给出方案，再进行编辑 |
| Auto mode | 自动模式 |
| Claude will automatically choose the best permission mode for each task | Claude 会为每个任务自动选择合适的权限模式 |
| Effort (Extra high) | 推理强度（极高） |
| ctrl esc to focus or unfocus Claude | Ctrl+Esc 聚焦 / 取消聚焦 Claude |
| to switch | 切换 |
Happy to help review zh-CN translations if useful.
Priority
Critical - Blocking my work
Feature Category
CLI commands and flags
Use Case Example
Non-English-speaking developers using Claude Code — particularly the large Chinese-speaking user base. Also benefits teams onboarding junior developers whose English proficiency is limited.
Additional Context
<img width="373" height="340" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4aa1a3c3-d017-48ca-86f4-467211a0040b" />