${file} and others not resolving for vscode devtools

Question

this question was asked before in js question but was not answered.

unintuitive behavior of vs code microsoft edge devtools not opening by default on current file (index.html) seems configurable through launch.json.

file variables in launch.json are not resolving in browser URL making the process a tedious and manual one.

i have also submitted an issue on github in detail: issue 944

to use my current html file in edge devtools extension for vs code, i :

1. launch devtools instance from vs code
2. copy file path of my index.html
3. fill it into URL to load.

this unintuitive behavior of not opening by default on current file (index.html) seems configurable through launch.json.

i have tried using file variables in various parameters and fields (settings fields, launch.json fields, mainly URL and entry point fields.) the end result is opening a devtools instance with the url of "$%7BrelativeFile%7D" substituted instead of the actual file path. (i tried ${file}, ${workspaceFolder})

i checked launch.json encoding and it is, indeed utf-8. this was the answer to the unfulfilled question, basing that launch.json is substituting the {} for their ASCII symbols.

i have also submitted an issue on github in detail: issue 944

help and pointers appreciated. I wasn't able to locate helpful launch.json docs/help

edit: interesting behavior, when i try to change the url in a launched devtools instance to http://localhost:8080/${BrelativeFile} the browser automatically parses it to: http://localhost:8080/$%7BrelativeFile%7D. making me think vscode is not doing any kind of proccessing on the variable, and passing the "http://localhost:8080/${relativeFile}" in url just gets passed "as is" to edge.