Enable output file instead of json string

.devcontainer/devcontainer.json

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+// For format details, see https://aka.ms/devcontainer.json. For config options, see the
+// README at: https://github.com/devcontainers/templates/tree/main/src/powershell
+{
+	"name": "PowerShell",
+	// Or use a Dockerfile or Docker Compose file. More info: https://containers.dev/guide/dockerfile
+	"image": "mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:lts-debian-11",
+	"features": {
+		"ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/common-utils:2": {
+			"installZsh": "true",
+			"username": "vscode",
+			"upgradePackages": "false",
+			"nonFreePackages": "true"
+		},
+		"ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/github-cli:1": {}
+	},
+
+	"postCreateCommand": "sudo chsh vscode -s \"$(which pwsh)\"",
+
+	// Configure tool-specific properties.
+	"customizations": {
+		// Configure properties specific to VS Code.
+		"vscode": {
+			// Set *default* container specific settings.json values on container create.
+			"settings": { 
+				"terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.linux": "pwsh"
+			},
+
+			// Add the IDs of extensions you want installed when the container is created.
+			"extensions": [
+				"ms-vscode.powershell"
+			]
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Use 'forwardPorts' to make a list of ports inside the container available locally.
+	// "forwardPorts": [],
+
+	// Uncomment to connect as root instead. More info: https://aka.ms/dev-containers-non-root.
+	// "remoteUser": "root"
+}

.github/workflows/testing.yml

@@ -35,12 +35,30 @@ jobs:
             Write-Host "Found [$($actions.Length)] actions"
             Set-Content -Value "Found [$($actions.Length)] actions" -Path $env:GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          }
-
+
+      - shell: pwsh
+        name: check the output file location to contain the expected content
+        run: |
+          # check the output file location to contain the expected content
+          Write-Host "Got actions file location here [${{ steps.load-actions.outputs.actions-file }}]"
+          $content = Get-Content -Path "${{ steps.load-actions.outputs.actions-file }}"
+          $actions = $content | ConvertFrom-Json
+          if ($actions.Length -le 0) {
+            Set-Content -Value "No actions found" -Path $env:GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            throw "No actions found"
+          } 
+          else {
+            Write-Host "Found [$($actions.Length)] actions"
+            Set-Content -Value "Found [$($actions.Length)] actions" -Path $env:GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          }
+
       - name: Upload result file as artefact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@0b7f8abb1508181956e8e162db84b466c27e18ce # v3.1.2
         with: 
           name: actions-${{ env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY_OWNER }}
-          path: actions.json
+          path: |
+            actions.json
+            used-actions.json
 
   load-all-used-actions-other-org:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -71,9 +89,27 @@ jobs:
             Write-Host "Found [$($actions.Length)] actions"
             Set-Content -Value "Found [$($actions.Length)] actions" -Path $env:GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          }
+
+      - shell: pwsh
+        name: check the output file location to contain the expected content
+        run: |
+          # check the output file location to contain the expected content
+          Write-Host "Got actions file location here [${{ steps.load-actions.outputs.actions-file }}]"
+          $content = Get-Content -Path "${{ steps.load-actions.outputs.actions-file }}"
+          $actions = $content | ConvertFrom-Json
+          if ($actions.Length -le 0) {
+            Set-Content -Value "No actions found" -Path $env:GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            throw "No actions found"
+          } 
+          else {
+            Write-Host "Found [$($actions.Length)] actions"
+            Set-Content -Value "Found [$($actions.Length)] actions" -Path $env:GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          }
 
       - name: Upload result file as artefact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@0b7f8abb1508181956e8e162db84b466c27e18ce # v3.1.2
         with: 
           name: actions-${{ env.organization }}
-          path: actions.json
+          path: |
+            actions.json
+            used-actions.json

Src/PowerShell/entrypoint.ps1

@@ -27,10 +27,19 @@ function main {
 
     # wite the file outside of the container so we can pick it up
     Write-Host "Found [$($actions.Count)] actions "
-    #Write-Verbose $actions | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10
-    $jsonObject = ($actions | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10 -Compress)
-    Set-Content -Value "actions='$jsonObject'" -Path $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
+    $jsonObject = ($actions | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10 -Compress)    
+
+    # store the json in a file and write the path to the output variable   
+    $fileName = "used-actions.json"
+    $filePath = "$($env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE)/$fileName"
+
+    Set-Content -Value "$jsonObject" -Path "$filePath"
+    Set-Content -Value "actions-file=$fileName" -Path $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
     Write-Host "Stored actions in the actions output. Use $${{ steps.<step id>.outputs.actions }} in next action to load the json"
+    Write-Host "Stored actions file in the actions output. Use $${{ steps.<step id>.outputs.actions-file }} in next action to load the file from the $$GITHUB_WORKSPACE folder"
+
+    # write json content to output variable for backward compatibility (this used to be the only way to get the json)
+    Add-Content -Value "actions='$jsonObject'" -Path $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
 }
 
 try {

Src/PowerShell/load-used-actions.ps1

@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ function main() {
         $fileName = "summarized-actions.json"
         $jsonObject = ($summarizeActions | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10)
         New-Item -Path $fileName -Value $jsonObject -Force | Out-Null
-        Write-Host "Stored the summarized usage info into this file: [$fileName]"
+        Write-Host "Stored the summarized usage info into this file: [$fileName] in this directory: [$PWD]"
 
         # upload the data into the marketplaceRepo
         #Write-Host "Found [$($actionsFound.actions.Length)] actions in use!"

action.yml

@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ inputs:
 outputs:
   actions:
     description: 'List of all actions used in the organization'  
+  actions-file:
+    description: 'Location of the file containing the list of all actions used in the organization'
 runs:
   using: 'docker'
   image: 'Dockerfile'