[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. These settings are used for file selection, workflow customization, and dependency-depth calculation, rather than taking effect only on the next update.

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.
• Rejects paths redirected through symlinks or junctions, causing update checks and updates to fail with an error.

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]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Cross-platform path resolution and destructive file-operation safeguards warrant final human validation.

3 open findings

• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…
• Clarify defaults precede configured rules only within each template · New
• Document custom-template precedence over original-template candidates · New

1 resolved since last review

• Validate settings path before updating to prevent symlink escapes

🧠 Review effort: Balanced

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Cross-platform symlink and junction handling around destructive file operations warrants human validation.

1 open finding

• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…

2 resolved since last review

• Document custom-template precedence over original-template candidates
• Clarify defaults precede configured rules only within each template

🧠 Review effort: Balanced

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Cross-platform path validation and file-removal changes need human verification, and project-path handling and dependency-depth calculation still require fixes.

2 open issues

• Allow harmless dot normalization in project paths · New
• Dependency analysis uses stale project settings · New

1 resolved since last review

• The corresponding original-template file is accepted with only Test-Path, so a symlink at that…

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Project dependency analysis still reloads stale template settings, which can generate too few sequential build jobs.

No open issues 🎉

2 resolved since last review

• Dependency analysis uses stale project settings
• Allow harmless dot normalization in project paths

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[Ole Wunschmann (OleWunschmann)]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Project dependency analysis still reloads stale template settings, which can generate too few sequential build jobs.

No open issues 🎉

2 resolved since last review

• Dependency analysis uses stale project settings
• Allow harmless dot normalization in project paths

Review effort: Balanced

Fixed with 553f998 by reworking the snapshot handling for custom templates.

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

The Linux scenario still asserts the original Windows workflow content after applying Ubuntu/pwsh settings, causing it to fail before the consumer-repository checks.

No open issues 🎉

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[Ole Wunschmann (OleWunschmann)]

🔵 Needs a closer look

The Linux scenario still asserts the original Windows workflow content after applying Ubuntu/pwsh settings, causing it to fail before the consumer-repository checks.

No open issues 🎉

Review effort: Balanced

I ran the custom template e2e test for Linux and for Windows, and they were successful.

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

The prerequisite documentation references a nonexistent function, and the PR description claims symlink/junction paths are skipped when they actually abort the run.

2 open issues

• Align symlink/junction behavior with the PR description · New
• Document the actual prerequisite for reading merged settings · New

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Human assessment is needed because an unpublished finding identifies a path-validation gap that leaves symlink- or junction-redirected removal destinations unchecked during check-only updates.

1 open issue

• Align symlink/junction behavior with the PR description

1 resolved since last review

• Document the actual prerequisite for reading merged settings

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[Ole Wunschmann (OleWunschmann)]

🔵 Needs a closer look

Human assessment is needed because an unpublished finding identifies a path-validation gap that leaves symlink- or junction-redirected removal destinations unchecked during check-only updates.

1 open issue

• Align symlink/junction behavior with the PR description

1 resolved since last review

• Document the actual prerequisite for reading merged settings

Review effort: Balanced

Fixed the PR description. Removal candidates are only listed during checks; their paths are validated immediately before deletion in the new clone. No additional assertion is needed here.

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

Excluded removal destinations bypass physical-path validation during update checks, allowing symlink-redirected paths to be reported as pending removals instead of failing as documented.

1 open issue

• Validate excluded destinations during update checks · New

1 resolved since last review

• Align symlink/junction behavior with the PR description

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[Copilot]

🔵 Needs a closer look

The resolver defines a cross-platform security boundary whose fail-closed behavior with Windows junctions and PowerShell 5.1 requires native runtime validation beyond static review.

No open issues 🎉

1 resolved since last review

• Validate excluded destinations during update checks

_{Review effort: Balanced}

[Ole Wunschmann (OleWunschmann)]

🔵 Needs a closer look

The resolver defines a cross-platform security boundary whose fail-closed behavior with Windows junctions and PowerShell 5.1 requires native runtime validation beyond static review.

No open issues 🎉

1 resolved since last review

• Validate excluded destinations during update checks

Review effort: Balanced

Matching tests exist and will be run by the workflows.

[Copilot]

🟢 Approval recommended

No active review issues remain for the custom-template file update changes.

No open issues 🎉

_{Review effort: Balanced}