docs: document ${input:...} variable support in MCP server headers and env

[Copilot]

${input:...} variable support in MCP server headers and env was undocumented, leaving users without guidance on VS Code runtime prompting for credentials and config.

Changes

• ide-tool-integration.md — New ${input:...} Variables subsection under MCP Server Declaration: syntax, how APM handles registry vs. self-defined servers, practical example, and runtime support matrix.
• manifest-schema.md — Updated env and headers field descriptions to reference ${input:<id>} support; added §4.2.4 with full details and runtime table.
• CHANGELOG.md — Unreleased entry.

Example

dependencies:
  mcp:
    - name: my-server
      registry: false
      transport: http
      url: https://my-server.example.com/mcp/
      headers:
        Authorization: "******"
        X-Project: "${input:my-server-project}"

Runtime	${input:...} support
VS Code	✅ Prompts user at runtime
Copilot CLI	❌ Use environment variables instead
Codex	❌ Use environment variables instead

Type of change

• Bug fix
• New feature
• Documentation
• Maintenance / refactor

Testing

• Tested locally
• All existing tests pass
• Added tests for new functionality (if applicable)

Original prompt

---

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>[FEATURE] Document ${input:...} variable support in MCP server configuration</issue_title>
<issue_description>Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

Users have no guidance on using ${input:...} variables in MCP server headers and env fields. The documentation at IDE & Tool Integration — MCP Server Declaration and the Manifest Schema reference don't mention this capability.

Depends on #342.

Describe the solution you'd like

Document ${input:...} variable support in the following pages:

1. docs/src/content/docs/integrations/ide-tool-integration.md — MCP Server Declaration section: add a subsection explaining ${input:...} syntax in headers and env, with a practical example.

2. docs/src/content/docs/reference/manifest-schema.md — headers and env field descriptions: note that values can contain ${input:<id>} references for VS Code runtime prompting.

Content to include

• ${input:...} syntax — values in headers and env can reference VS Code input variables using ${input:<variable-id>}.

• How it works — for registry-backed servers, APM auto-generates input prompts from registry metadata. For self-defined servers, APM detects the patterns and generates matching definitions.

• Runtime support matrix:

  Runtime	${input:...} support
  VS Code	Yes — prompts user at runtime
  Copilot CLI	No — use environment variables
  Codex	No — use environment variables

• Examples:

  dependencies:
    mcp:
      - name: my-server
        registry: false
        transport: http
        url: https://my-server.example.com/mcp/
        headers:
          Authorization: "Bearer ${input:my-server-token}"
          X-Project: "${input:my-server-project}"

Describe alternatives you've considered

Leaving it undocumented, but this leads to user confusion (as evidenced by genuine questions about the feature).

Additional context

Keep documentation concise and task-oriented per project conventions. This should be a short subsection, not a separate page.</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

• Fixes [FEATURE] Document ${input:...} variable support in MCP server configuration #343

---

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[sergio-sisternes-epam]

@copilot solve conflicts

[Copilot]

@copilot solve conflicts

Resolved in 59c909a. I merged the latest main into this branch and fixed the CHANGELOG.md conflict by preserving both the unreleased docs entry and the new 0.8.2 release section.

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Documents existing ${input:...} variable support for MCP server headers and env, so users understand how VS Code runtime prompting works and what other runtimes do instead.

Changes:

• Added ${input:...} guidance (syntax + example + runtime support matrix) to the IDE/tool integration docs.
• Updated the manifest schema reference to explicitly call out ${input:<id>} support in env/headers, and added a dedicated subsection (§4.2.4).
• Added an Unreleased changelog entry for the documentation update.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 3 out of 3 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

File	Description
docs/src/content/docs/reference/manifest-schema.md	Extends MCP dependency field docs to reference ${input:<id>} usage and adds a dedicated section with example + runtime matrix.
docs/src/content/docs/integrations/ide-tool-integration.md	Adds a new subsection under MCP server declaration explaining ${input:...} usage and runtime support.
CHANGELOG.md	Adds an Unreleased entry documenting the docs update.