Add configurable cwd setting to extension template

[Copilot]

• src/common/settings.ts: Added getCwd helper; replaced hardcoded cwd; added cwd to watched settings
• package.json: Added <pytool-module>.cwd setting
• bundled/tool/lsp_server.py: Added get_cwd(); updated _run_tool_on_document and _run_tool
• Improved get_cwd docstring: removed misleading ${workspaceFolder} mention (it's pre-resolved by TypeScript, not Python)
• Added inline comment at get_cwd call site explaining why document is passed

Original prompt

Problem

The extension template hardcodes the working directory (cwd) to the workspace root in src/common/settings.ts (line 65):

const workspaceSetting = {
    cwd: workspace.uri.fsPath,  // hardcoded

This means all extensions built from this template (isort, Black, Flake8, Mypy, Pylint, Autopep8, etc.) always run their underlying tool from the workspace root. Users with monorepo workspaces — where the Python project lives in a subdirectory (e.g., ${workspaceRoot}/python/) — cannot configure the working directory, so tools fail to pick up config files (pyproject.toml, isort.cfg, .flake8) located in subdirectories.

This was originally reported as microsoft/vscode-isort#141 and affects all extensions derived from this template.

Interestingly, the server-side Python code in downstream extensions like vscode-isort already has a get_cwd() function in bundled/tool/lsp_server.py that correctly resolves ${workspaceFolder} and ${fileDirname} tokens — but the client-side TypeScript never sends a user-configured value; it always sends the hardcoded workspace root path.

Required Changes

1. src/common/settings.ts

• Add a getCwd helper function that reads the cwd value from the VS Code configuration and resolves variable substitutions like ${workspaceFolder} and ${fileDirname}:

  function getCwd(config: WorkspaceConfiguration, workspace: WorkspaceFolder): string {
      const cwd = config.get<string>('cwd', '${workspaceFolder}');
      return resolveVariables([cwd], workspace)[0];
  }

• In getWorkspaceSettings, replace the hardcoded cwd: workspace.uri.fsPath with a call to getCwd(config, workspace).
• In checkIfConfigurationChanged, add ${namespace}.cwd to the list of watched settings so the server restarts when the user changes it.

2. package.json

• Add a <TOOL>.cwd setting under contributes.configuration.properties. The setting should:
  • Have type string
  • Default to "${workspaceFolder}"
  • Include a description explaining that it sets the working directory for the tool, and that ${workspaceFolder} and ${fileDirname} are supported tokens
  • Use the same pattern as existing settings in the template (using the <TOOL> placeholder)

3. bundled/tool/lsp_server.py

• Ensure the get_cwd() function in the Python LSP server handles the ${workspaceFolder}, ${fileDirname}, and arbitrary path cases (this function already exists in downstream extensions like vscode-isort and should be present or added in the template).

Related Issue

• python.linting.cwd-equivalent setting for new extensions vscode-isort#141 — the original user-facing report requesting a configurable cwd setting equivalent to the legacy python.linting.cwd

This pull request was created from Copilot chat.

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[edvilme]

Fixes microsoft/vscode-isort#141

[rchiodo]

There are a lot more patterns than this. See this for the full list:

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/reference/variables-reference