From 37ba6ab105ba08b9135d5ffe444a92b37e55fda1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: eric sciple <ericsciple@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2025 10:40:31 -0600
Subject: [PATCH] Fix misleading error for malformed local workflow paths
 (#221)

---
 languageservice/src/validate.ts               |  6 +++++
 .../src/validate.uses-format.test.ts          | 24 ++++++++++++++++++-
 2 files changed, 29 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/languageservice/src/validate.ts b/languageservice/src/validate.ts
index cf27522..da44ad0 100644
--- a/languageservice/src/validate.ts
+++ b/languageservice/src/validate.ts
@@ -354,6 +354,12 @@ function validateWorkflowUsesFormat(diagnostics: Diagnostic[], token: StringToke
     return;
   }
 
+  // Malformed local workflow reference (starts with ./ but not in .github/workflows)
+  if (uses.startsWith("./")) {
+    addWorkflowUsesFormatError(diagnostics, token, "local workflow references must be rooted in '.github/workflows'");
+    return;
+  }
+
   // Remote workflow reference: must have @ for version
   const atSegments = uses.split("@");
   if (atSegments.length === 1) {
diff --git a/languageservice/src/validate.uses-format.test.ts b/languageservice/src/validate.uses-format.test.ts
index 67777fc..dad042e 100644
--- a/languageservice/src/validate.uses-format.test.ts
+++ b/languageservice/src/validate.uses-format.test.ts
@@ -469,6 +469,27 @@ jobs:
       ]);
     });
 
+    it("malformed local path not in .github/workflows", async () => {
+      const input = `on: push
+jobs:
+  test:
+    uses: ./foo/bar.yml
+`;
+      const result = await validate(createDocument("wf.yaml", input));
+      expect(result).toEqual([
+        {
+          message:
+            "Invalid workflow reference './foo/bar.yml': local workflow references must be rooted in '.github/workflows'",
+          severity: DiagnosticSeverity.Error,
+          range: {
+            start: {line: 3, character: 10},
+            end: {line: 3, character: 23}
+          },
+          code: "invalid-workflow-uses-format"
+        }
+      ]);
+    });
+
     it("missing .github/workflows path", async () => {
       const input = `on: push
 jobs:
@@ -562,7 +583,8 @@ jobs:
       const result = await validate(createDocument("wf.yaml", input));
       expect(result).toEqual([
         {
-          message: "Invalid workflow reference './workflows/test.yml': no version specified",
+          message:
+            "Invalid workflow reference './workflows/test.yml': local workflow references must be rooted in '.github/workflows'",
           severity: DiagnosticSeverity.Error,
           range: {
             start: {line: 3, character: 10},