Community-Built Unofficial Simplified Chinese Localization for Claude Code VS Code Extension Now Available

VS Code users who prefer simplified Chinese interfaces for their AI coding tools now have a new option—an unofficial community-developed extension that localizes the Claude Code VS Code extension. This non-official patch, created independently of Anthropic or the Claude team, aims to make the AI coding assistant more accessible to Chinese-speaking developers.

The extension packs several useful features: it auto-applies localization on VS Code startup, supports three stages of translation rules (pre, built-in, post), allows custom translation rules (including regex support), creates automatic backups before modifying files, offers one-click restoration to the original version, and detects Claude Code updates to reapply localization automatically.

Using the extension is straightforward. Developers can access commands via the VS Code command panel (Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) to apply localization, restore the original, open configuration settings, or reload the translation. A status bar button labeled "Claude Localization" (with a globe icon) also provides quick access to configuration.

In VS Code settings, searching for "claudeCodeZhCn" reveals key options: auto-apply on startup (enabled by default), auto-reapply on Claude Code updates (default true), backup creation (default true), notification display (default true), and the Claude Code extension ID (default "Anthropic.claude-code", which users may need to adjust if using a different version). For custom translations, users can add pre-rules (applied before built-in ones) or post-rules (applied after, to override built-ins), with support for regular expressions for flexible text replacement.

The extension works by first using VS Code's API to locate the Claude Code extension (a reliable method even if the installation path is modified), then finding the webview/index.js file where the interface text resides. It creates a .bak backup before making changes, applies translation rules in order (pre → built-in → post), writes the localized content back to the file, and prompts the user to reload the window for changes to take effect.

Users should note that some systems may require admin privileges to modify extension files. When Claude Code updates, it overwrites the localized files, but the extension automatically reapplies the translation. First-time localization creates a backup, and users can restore to the original version at any time via the command panel.

The project is licensed under the MIT License, and the community welcomes issues and pull requests to improve the extension.

Sources

• VS Code Marketplace: zstings.claude-code-zhCn (https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=zstings.claude-code-zhCn)