Improve file handling in Update AL-Go System Files

[Ole Wunschmann (OleWunschmann)]

What, Why & How

Custom-template customALGoFiles settings previously took effect in consumer repositories only after a later update. Also, files present in the original AL-Go template but absent from the custom template were not selected for propagation.

This PR makes Update AL-Go System Files read the custom template’s current settings during the same run.

Include and exclude rules are now resolved against both the custom template and the original AL-Go template. For example, a custom template may not contain the Power Platform workflows available in the original template. When a PTE consumer repository enables a Power Platform solution, those workflows can now be propagated from the original template. Custom-template exclusions can likewise prevent original-template files from being propagated.

The update also:

• Adds destinationName to filesToInclude to copy a file under a different name.
• Resolves destination collisions by keeping the first eligible match. Custom-template matches are considered before original-only matches; within each template, default rules precede configured rules.
• Skips updates and removals involving paths redirected through symlinks or junctions, with a warning.

Migration note: Changing destinationName does not remove the previously propagated filename. Remove that file manually if it is no longer needed.

See the updated custom template documentation and release notes.

Related to #2227.

Checklist

• Add unit and end-to-end tests
• Update documentation and settings schema
• Update release notes
• Add telemetry

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Note

Copilot was unable to run its full agentic suite in this review.

This PR enhances the customALGoFiles behavior during “Update AL-Go System Files”, adding support for unconditional removals (filesToRemove) and improving custom-template behavior by merging template settings directly and resolving files from the original AL-Go template where applicable.

Changes:

• Add customALGoFiles.filesToRemove support end-to-end (schema, defaults, resolution logic, docs, and release notes).
• Update CheckForUpdates to read template repo settings via ReadSettings and merge template settings during file resolution.
• Expand automated coverage (unit + e2e) for include/exclude/remove resolution and custom-template propagation.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 9 out of 9 changed files in this pull request and generated 7 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
e2eTests/scenarios/CustomTemplate/runtest.ps1	Extends e2e scenario to validate custom-template file include/exclude/remove propagation and workflow presence.
Tests/CheckForUpdates.Action.Test.ps1	Adds unit tests for destination-folder resolution and expanded GetFilesToUpdate behaviors (including filesToRemove).
Actions/CheckForUpdates/CheckForUpdates.ps1	Updates settings reading (incl. trigger) and wires template settings + filesToRemove into update/removal flow.
Actions/CheckForUpdates/CheckForUpdates.HelperFunctions.ps1	Implements ResolveFilePathsInDestinationFolder and extends GetFilesToUpdate to produce include/exclude/remove lists.
Actions/.Modules/settings.schema.json	Extends settings schema with customALGoFiles.filesToRemove and clarifying descriptions.
Actions/.Modules/ReadSettings.psm1	Adds default filesToRemove array under customALGoFiles.
Scenarios/settings.md	Documents customALGoFiles.filesToRemove in settings reference.
Scenarios/CustomizingALGoForGitHub.md	Adds conceptual docs + examples for original-template resolution and filesToRemove.
RELEASENOTES.md	Documents enhanced customALGoFiles behavior and new filesToRemove.

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 9 out of 9 changed files in this pull request and generated 3 comments.

[Ole Wunschmann (OleWunschmann)]

Maria Zhelezova (@mazhelez) The failing PS5 tests should be fixed now.

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 9 out of 9 changed files in this pull request and generated 3 comments.

Comments suppressed due to low confidence (1)

Actions/CheckForUpdates/CheckForUpdates.HelperFunctions.ps1:1205

• Removal destinations are not constrained to $baseFolder. A filesToRemove entry with a matching template file and destinationFolder = '..' produces a destinationFullPath outside the repository; CheckForUpdates.ps1 later converts it to a relative path and passes it to Remove-Item. Normalize every removal destination and reject paths that are not descendants of the repository root before returning this list.

        $filesToRemove += @(ResolveFilePaths -sourceFolder $originalTemplateFolder -destinationFolder $baseFolder -files $filesToRemoveUnresolved -projects $projects)
    }
    $filesToRemove += @(ResolveFilePaths -sourceFolder $templateFolder -originalSourceFolder $originalTemplateFolder -destinationFolder $baseFolder -files $filesToRemoveUnresolved -projects $projects)
    $filesToRemove += @(ResolveFilePathsInDestinationFolder -destinationFolder $baseFolder -files $filesToRemoveUnresolved -projects $projects)

[Copilot]

Copilot review overview

🟡 Changes recommended

Workflow regeneration can still apply trigger-conditional settings despite the newly documented context-independent behavior.

Get a fresh assessment by requesting another Copilot review.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: 1 · 2 · 1

Open (4)

• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…
• Clear trigger when reading settings during workflow regeneration · New
• This containment result is computed in the original workspace, but updates are later written after…
• Fix typo: “clonde” should be “clone” · New

[Ole Wunschmann (OleWunschmann)]

Fixed by 0b9dc8c
And workflow-specific conditions are indeed supported for upating a workflow based on the settings.

[Copilot]

Copilot review overview

🔵 Needs a closer look

Source folders are enumerated before literal and boundary validation, causing incorrect handling and premature traversal.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: 1 · 2

Open (3)

• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…
• Clear trigger when reading settings during workflow regeneration
• This containment result is computed in the original workspace, but updates are later written after…

Resolved since last review (1)

• Fix typo: “clonde” should be “clone”

Previously missed (2)

In code that hasn't changed since last review

Validate source directory before enumeration and use LiteralPath

Actions/​CheckForUpdates/​CheckForUpdates.HelperFunctions.ps1:1114

This containment check runs only after Get-ChildItem -Path has already interpreted and traversed sourceFolder. Consequently, a valid literal folder such as scripts[1] is treated as a wildcard path and is not discovered, while an escaping or redirected folder can be enumerated before its files are rejected. Resolve and validate the source directory first, then enumerate it with -LiteralPath.

Clarify custom-template handling and settings merge behavior

Scenarios/​CustomizingALGoForGitHub.md:250

“Used as-is” is inaccurate for settings files: GetModifiedSettingsContent preserves the destination settings and only updates the $schema from the original source when the destination exists. Clarify that the custom-template copy is ignored while the normal settings merge behavior still applies.

[Copilot]

Copilot review overview

🔵 Needs a closer look

Unresolved file-selection and deletion safeguards need changes and human validation across platforms.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: 3 · 4

Open (7)

• Skip removals when excluded template paths redirect via links · New
• Update Linux E2E assertion for platform-adjusted workflow content · New
• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…
• Preserve replacement mappings through source-based exclusions · New
• Invalidate stale template settings snapshots when settings are removed · New
• Clear trigger when reading settings during workflow regeneration
• This containment result is computed in the original workspace, but updates are later written after…

[Copilot]

Copilot review overview

🟡 Changes recommended

The Linux E2E expectation is incorrect, and destinationName lacks required filename validation.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: 2 · 2

Open (4)

• Transform shared expected workflow content for Linux · New
• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…
• Clear trigger when reading settings during workflow regeneration
• This containment result is computed in the original workspace, but updates are later written after…

Resolved since last review (4)

• Update Linux E2E assertion for platform-adjusted workflow content
• Skip removals when excluded template paths redirect via links
• Invalidate stale template settings snapshots when settings are removed
• Preserve replacement mappings through source-based exclusions

Previously missed (1)

In code that hasn't changed since last review

Validate destinationName as a cross-platform filename

Actions/​.Modules/​settings.schema.json:766

destinationName is documented as a filename, but the schema accepts separators and platform-invalid characters. Because the implementation passes it directly to Join-Path, the same value can create a subdirectory on Windows but a backslash-named file on Linux, or fail during the update. Validate it as one cross-platform filename in both the schema and runtime path handling.

[Ole Wunschmann (OleWunschmann)]

Copilot review overview

🟡 Changes recommended

The Linux E2E expectation is incorrect, and destinationName lacks required filename validation.

Review effort: Balanced Findings: 2 · 2

Open (4)

• Transform shared expected workflow content for Linux · New
• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…
• Clear trigger when reading settings during workflow regeneration
• This containment result is computed in the original workspace, but updates are later written after…

Resolved since last review (4)

• Update Linux E2E assertion for platform-adjusted workflow content
• Skip removals when excluded template paths redirect via links
• Invalidate stale template settings snapshots when settings are removed
• Preserve replacement mappings through source-based exclusions

Previously missed (1)
In code that hasn't changed since last review

Validate destinationName as a cross-platform filename
Actions/​.Modules/​settings.schema.json:766

destinationName is documented as a filename, but the schema accepts separators and platform-invalid characters. Because the implementation passes it directly to Join-Path, the same value can create a subdirectory on Windows but a backslash-named file on Linux, or fail during the update. Validate it as one cross-platform filename in both the schema and runtime path handling.

The previously missed issue Validate destinationName as a cross-platform filename was not added by this Pull-Request and would also apply to sourceFolder and destinationFolder.
I would like to keep it as is, because it currently works just fine.

[Ole Wunschmann (OleWunschmann)]

Maria Zhelezova (@mazhelez) Alexander Holstrup (@aholstrup1) spetersenms
I think I've addressed all of Copilot's review comments (either with a commit or a comment).
Could you please take a look at the remaining unresolved comments?

[Copilot]

Copilot review overview

🔵 Needs a closer look

The extensive security-sensitive filesystem and cross-platform behavior warrants final human validation.

Review effort: Balanced
Findings: 2 · 2

Open (4)

• Transform shared expected workflow content for Linux
• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…
• Clear trigger when reading settings during workflow regeneration
• This containment result is computed in the original workspace, but updates are later written after…

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

Relative file symlinks can abort updates instead of being safely skipped.

4 open findings

• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…
• Handle relative file symlinks without aborting updates · New
• Clear trigger when reading settings during workflow regeneration
• This containment result is computed in the original workspace, but updates are later written after…

1 resolved since last review

• Transform shared expected workflow content for Linux

🧠 Review effort: Balanced

---

Give feedback about Copilot approvals in this survey to enter a drawing for a $150 gift card.

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

The behavior is comprehensively tested and documented, with only a non-blocking spelling correction identified.

3 open findings

• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…
• Clear trigger when reading settings during workflow regeneration
• This containment result is computed in the original workspace, but updates are later written after…

1 resolved since last review

• Handle relative file symlinks without aborting updates

🧠 Review effort: Balanced

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

The broad cross-platform path, symlink, and file-selection changes warrant final human validation despite comprehensive coverage.

3 open findings

• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…
• Clear trigger when reading settings during workflow regeneration
• This containment result is computed in the original workspace, but updates are later written after…

🧠 Review effort: Balanced

[Ole Wunschmann (OleWunschmann)]

I update the docu, releasenotes, PR description and PR title to better reflect the changes of this PR.