fix: show query output when expect-results fails

action.yml

@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ inputs:
   working-directory:
     description: 'Working directory for running vlt query (defaults to repository root)'
     required: false
+  show-results:
+    description: 'Show query output in logs and summary when queries fail. Set to "always" to show for all queries, "never" to hide, or "failed" (default) to show only for failed queries.'
+    required: false
+    default: 'failed'
 
 outputs:
   results:

src/index.ts

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ async function run(): Promise<void> {
     const scope = core.getInput('scope');
     const target = core.getInput('target');
     const workingDirectory = core.getInput('working-directory');
+    const showResults = core.getInput('show-results') || 'failed';
 
     // Validate inputs
     if (!query && !queries) {
@@ -55,10 +56,10 @@ async function run(): Promise<void> {
     core.info(`Executing ${parsedQueries.length} vlt queries...`);
 
     // Execute queries
-    const results = await executeQueries(parsedQueries, workingDirectory);
+    const results = await executeQueries(parsedQueries, workingDirectory, showResults);
 
     // Generate summary
-    const summary = generateSummaryTable(results);
+    const summary = generateSummaryTable(results, showResults);
     await core.summary.addRaw(summary).write();
 
     // Set outputs

src/query.ts

@@ -84,12 +84,23 @@ export async function executeQuery(
   return queryResult;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Check whether output should be shown based on the show-results setting
+ */
+function shouldShowOutput(passed: boolean, showResults: string): boolean {
+  if (showResults === 'always') return true;
+  if (showResults === 'never') return false;
+  // 'failed' (default) — show only for failed queries
+  return !passed;
+}
+
 /**
  * Execute multiple queries
  */
 export async function executeQueries(
   queries: ParsedQuery[],
-  workingDirectory?: string
+  workingDirectory?: string,
+  showResults: string = 'failed'
 ): Promise<QueryResult[]> {
   const results: QueryResult[] = [];
 
@@ -100,8 +111,21 @@ export async function executeQueries(
     // Log result
     if (result.passed) {
       core.info(`✅ ${result.query}`);
+      if (shouldShowOutput(true, showResults) && result.output && result.output.trim()) {
+        core.info(`Query output:\n${result.output}`);
+      }
     } else {
       core.error(`❌ ${result.query}: ${result.error}`);
+      if (shouldShowOutput(false, showResults)) {
+        // Show stdout so users can see what matched (e.g. expect-results failures)
+        if (result.output && result.output.trim()) {
+          core.info(`Query output:\n${result.output}`);
+        }
+        // Show stderr so users can see CLI errors (e.g. unsupported selector)
+        if (result.stderr && result.stderr.trim()) {
+          core.info(`Query stderr:\n${result.stderr}`);
+        }
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -111,7 +135,7 @@ export async function executeQueries(
 /**
  * Generate summary table for GitHub Actions step summary
  */
-export function generateSummaryTable(results: QueryResult[]): string {
+export function generateSummaryTable(results: QueryResult[], showResults: string = 'failed'): string {
   const lines: string[] = [];
 
   lines.push('## Query Deps Results');
@@ -147,12 +171,19 @@ export function generateSummaryTable(results: QueryResult[]): string {
       if (result.stderr) {
         lines.push(`- stderr: \`${escapeMarkdown(result.stderr)}\``);
       }
+      if (shouldShowOutput(false, showResults) && result.output && result.output.trim()) {
+        lines.push('');
+        lines.push('Output:');
+        lines.push('```');
+        lines.push(result.output);
+        lines.push('```');
+      }
       lines.push('');
     }
   }
 
   // Add output for successful queries with actual output
-  const successfulWithOutput = results.filter(r => r.passed && r.output.trim());
+  const successfulWithOutput = results.filter(r => r.passed && r.output.trim() && shouldShowOutput(true, showResults));
   if (successfulWithOutput.length > 0) {
     lines.push('### Query Outputs');
     lines.push('');

tests/query.test.ts

@@ -80,7 +80,111 @@ describe('generateSummaryTable', () => {
     expect(summary).toContain('Expected 0 results, but got 1');
   });
 
-  it('should include query outputs for successful queries', () => {
+  it('should include query output in failed queries section (default show-results=failed)', () => {
+    const results: QueryResult[] = [
+      {
+        query: '*:license(copyleft) --expect-results=0',
+        selector: '*:license(copyleft)',
+        flags: ['--expect-results=0'],
+        output: 'gpl-pkg@1.0.0\nlgpl-lib@2.3.4\nagpl-service@0.1.0',
+        stderr: '',
+        exitCode: 0,
+        success: true,
+        passed: false,
+        error: 'Expected 0 results, but got 3',
+        expectedResults: '0',
+        actualResultCount: 3,
+        duration: 120,
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const summary = generateSummaryTable(results);
+
+    expect(summary).toContain('### Failed Queries');
+    expect(summary).toContain('Expected 0 results, but got 3');
+    // The actual matched packages should be shown
+    expect(summary).toContain('Output:');
+    expect(summary).toContain('gpl-pkg@1.0.0');
+    expect(summary).toContain('lgpl-lib@2.3.4');
+    expect(summary).toContain('agpl-service@0.1.0');
+  });
+
+  it('should show stderr in failed queries section for CLI errors', () => {
+    const results: QueryResult[] = [
+      {
+        query: ':diff() --expect-results=0',
+        selector: ':diff()',
+        flags: ['--expect-results=0'],
+        output: '',
+        stderr: 'Error: unsupported selector :diff()',
+        exitCode: 1,
+        success: false,
+        passed: false,
+        error: 'Error: unsupported selector :diff()',
+        duration: 50,
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const summary = generateSummaryTable(results);
+
+    expect(summary).toContain('### Failed Queries');
+    expect(summary).toContain('unsupported selector');
+    expect(summary).toContain('stderr');
+  });
+
+  it('should show both stdout and stderr for CLI errors with partial output', () => {
+    const results: QueryResult[] = [
+      {
+        query: ':some-selector',
+        selector: ':some-selector',
+        flags: [],
+        output: 'partial-result@1.0.0',
+        stderr: 'Warning: query terminated early\nError: connection reset',
+        exitCode: 1,
+        success: false,
+        passed: false,
+        error: 'Warning: query terminated early\nError: connection reset',
+        duration: 300,
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const summary = generateSummaryTable(results);
+
+    expect(summary).toContain('### Failed Queries');
+    expect(summary).toContain('connection reset');
+    // stdout should also be shown
+    expect(summary).toContain('Output:');
+    expect(summary).toContain('partial-result@1.0.0');
+  });
+
+  it('should not show output for failed queries when show-results=never', () => {
+    const results: QueryResult[] = [
+      {
+        query: '*:license(copyleft) --expect-results=0',
+        selector: '*:license(copyleft)',
+        flags: ['--expect-results=0'],
+        output: 'gpl-pkg@1.0.0\nlgpl-lib@2.3.4',
+        stderr: '',
+        exitCode: 0,
+        success: true,
+        passed: false,
+        error: 'Expected 0 results, but got 2',
+        expectedResults: '0',
+        actualResultCount: 2,
+        duration: 120,
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const summary = generateSummaryTable(results, 'never');
+
+    expect(summary).toContain('### Failed Queries');
+    expect(summary).toContain('Expected 0 results, but got 2');
+    // Output should NOT be shown
+    expect(summary).not.toContain('gpl-pkg@1.0.0');
+    expect(summary).not.toContain('Output:');
+  });
+
+  it('should show output for successful queries when show-results=always', () => {
     const results: QueryResult[] = [
       {
         query: ':outdated --view=json',
@@ -95,7 +199,52 @@ describe('generateSummaryTable', () => {
       },
     ];
 
-    const summary = generateSummaryTable(results);
+    const summary = generateSummaryTable(results, 'always');
+
+    expect(summary).toContain('### Query Outputs');
+    expect(summary).toContain('```');
+    expect(summary).toContain('"name": "lodash"');
+  });
+
+  it('should not show successful query outputs with default show-results=failed', () => {
+    const results: QueryResult[] = [
+      {
+        query: ':outdated --view=json',
+        selector: ':outdated',
+        flags: ['--view=json'],
+        output: '[\n  {\n    "name": "lodash",\n    "current": "4.17.20",\n    "wanted": "4.17.21"\n  }\n]',
+        stderr: '',
+        exitCode: 0,
+        success: true,
+        passed: true,
+        duration: 200,
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const summary = generateSummaryTable(results, 'failed');
+
+    // With 'failed' mode, successful query output should NOT be shown
+    expect(summary).not.toContain('### Query Outputs');
+    expect(summary).not.toContain('"name": "lodash"');
+  });
+
+  it('should include query outputs for successful queries (legacy default behavior)', () => {
+    // When show-results is 'always', successful query outputs are shown
+    const results: QueryResult[] = [
+      {
+        query: ':outdated --view=json',
+        selector: ':outdated',
+        flags: ['--view=json'],
+        output: '[\n  {\n    "name": "lodash",\n    "current": "4.17.20",\n    "wanted": "4.17.21"\n  }\n]',
+        stderr: '',
+        exitCode: 0,
+        success: true,
+        passed: true,
+        duration: 200,
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const summary = generateSummaryTable(results, 'always');
 
     expect(summary).toContain('### Query Outputs');
     expect(summary).toContain('```');
@@ -159,4 +308,4 @@ describe('setOutputs', () => {
 
     expect(mockSetOutput).toHaveBeenCalledWith('passed', 'false');
   });
-});
+});