Add include-hidden-files input

# The Problem

Hidden files and directories (e.g. `.well-known`) are unconditionally excluded from the tar archive. There is no way to include them. (actions#129)

# The Solution

Add an `include-hidden-files` input (default `false`) that skips the `--exclude=.[^/]*` pattern when set to `true`. `.git` and `.github` are always excluded regardless. Test coverage added for the new option.

I think this is the right approach rather than actions#134. Keep the default behavior safe, and give a sane option to users who know what they're doing. It was safe enough for upload-artifact, it should be safe enough here.

# Context

`actions/upload-artifact` introduced hidden file exclusion and a corresponding `include-hidden-files` option in [v4.4.0](https://github.com/actions/upload-artifact/releases/tag/v4.4.0). This action adopted the same exclusion behavior in its tar step but never added the equivalent option. This PR closes that gap.

The only sane workaround without this option is to drop this action, manually create the tar, and hand it to `upload-artifact` directly. See [expressjs/expressjs.com#2173](expressjs/expressjs.com#2173) for an example.

Author: jonchurch

.github/workflows/test-hosted-runners.yml

@@ -57,3 +57,46 @@ jobs:
     - name: Check for absence of symlinks
       run: if [ $(find artifact2 -type l | wc -l) != 0 ]; then echo "Symlinks found"; exit 1; fi
       shell: bash
+
+  test-include-hidden:
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, macos-latest]
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+    - name: Generate files
+      run: mkdir artifact && mkdir artifact2 && cd artifact && ../script/new-artifact.sh
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Upload Pages artifact
+      uses: ./
+      with:
+        name: pages-artifact-hidden-${{ matrix.os }}
+        path: artifact
+        include-hidden-files: true
+
+    - name: Download artifact
+      uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+      with:
+          name: pages-artifact-hidden-${{ matrix.os }}
+          path: artifact2
+
+    - name: Extract artifact
+      run: tar -xf artifact2/artifact.tar -C artifact2 && rm artifact2/artifact.tar
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Check for presence of hidden files
+      run: if [ $(find artifact2 -regex ".*/\..*" | wc -l) == 0 ]; then echo "Hidden files not found"; exit 1; fi
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Compare files
+      run: diff -qr artifact artifact2
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Check for absence of symlinks
+      run: if [ $(find artifact2 -type l | wc -l) != 0 ]; then echo "Symlinks found"; exit 1; fi
+      shell: bash

README.md

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ jobs:
 | `name`           | `false`   | `github-pages` | Artifact name                                      |
 | `path`           | `true`    | `_site/`       | Path of the directory containing the static assets |
 | `retention-days` | `false`   | `1`            | Duration after which artifact will expire in days  |
+| `include-hidden-files` | `false` | `false`  | Include hidden files and directories (those starting with a dot) in the artifact. Excludes `.git` and `.github` regardless. |
 
 ### Outputs 📤
 

action.yml

@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ inputs:
     description: "Duration after which artifact will expire in days."
     required: false
     default: "1"
+  include-hidden-files:
+    description: "Include hidden files and directories (those starting with a dot) in the artifact. Excludes .git and .github regardless."
+    required: false
+    default: "false"
 outputs:
   artifact_id:
     description: "The ID of the artifact that was uploaded."
@@ -32,7 +36,7 @@ runs:
           -cvf "$RUNNER_TEMP/artifact.tar" \
           --exclude=.git \
           --exclude=.github \
-          --exclude=".[^/]*" \
+          ${{ inputs.include-hidden-files != 'true' && '--exclude=.[^/]*' || '' }} \
           .
         echo ::endgroup::
       env:
@@ -50,7 +54,7 @@ runs:
           -cvf "$RUNNER_TEMP/artifact.tar" \
           --exclude=.git \
           --exclude=.github \
-          --exclude=".[^/]*" \
+          ${{ inputs.include-hidden-files != 'true' && '--exclude=.[^/]*' || '' }} \
           .
         echo ::endgroup::
       env:
@@ -68,7 +72,7 @@ runs:
           -cvf "$RUNNER_TEMP\artifact.tar" \
           --exclude=.git \
           --exclude=.github \
-          --exclude=".[^/]*" \
+          ${{ inputs.include-hidden-files != 'true' && '--exclude=.[^/]*' || '' }} \
           --force-local \
           "."
         echo ::endgroup::