name: vscode-ext-localization
description: 'Guidelines for proper localization of VS Code extensions, following VS Code extension development guidelines, libraries and good practices'

VS Code extension localization

This skill helps you localize every aspect of VS Code extensions

When to use this skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Localize new or existing contributed configurations (settings), commands, menus, views or walkthroughs
- Localize new or existing messages or other string resources contained in extension source code that are displayed to the end user

Instructions

VS Code localization is composed by three different approaches, depending on the resource that is being localized. When a new localizable resource is created or updated, the corresponding localization for all currently available languages must be created/updated.

1. Configurations like Settings, Commands, Menus, Views, ViewsWelcome, Walkthrough Titles and Descriptions, defined in package.json
   -> An exclusive package.nls.LANGID.json file, like package.nls.pt-br.json of Brazilian Portuguese (pt-br) localization
2. Walkthrough content (defined in its own Markdown files)
   -> An exclusive Markdown file like walkthrough/someStep.pt-br.md for Brazilian Portuguese localization
3. Messages and string located in extension source code (JavaScript or TypeScript files)
   -> An exclusive bundle.l10n.pt-br.json for Brazilian Portuguese localization