Fix --exclude flag

packages/patrol_cli/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+## Unreleased
+- Fix `--exclude` not working. (#2990)
+
 ## 4.4.0
 
 - Fix iOS Simulator test crash on Xcode 26.4+ caused by missing platform frameworks path in xctestrun.
@@ -15,6 +18,7 @@
 - Bump `patrol_log` to `^0.8.0`.
 - Refactor develop command into reusable components and expose public API for programmatic usage.
 - Reflect failed tests in Playwright report. (#2970)
+- Fix `--exclude` not working. (#2990)
 
 ## 4.2.0
 

packages/patrol_cli/lib/src/commands/build_android.dart

@@ -93,12 +93,13 @@ class BuildAndroidCommand extends PatrolCommand {
     }
 
     final testFinder = _testFinderFactory.create(testDirectory);
+    final excludes = stringsArg('exclude').toSet();
 
     final target = stringsArg('target');
     final targets = target.isNotEmpty
-        ? testFinder.findTests(target, testFileSuffix)
+        ? testFinder.findTests(target, testFileSuffix, excludes)
         : testFinder.findAllTests(
-            excludes: stringsArg('exclude').toSet(),
+            excludes: excludes,
             testFileSuffix: testFileSuffix,
           );
 

packages/patrol_cli/lib/src/commands/build_ios.dart

@@ -95,12 +95,13 @@ class BuildIOSCommand extends PatrolCommand {
     }
 
     final testFinder = _testFinderFactory.create(testDirectory);
+    final excludes = stringsArg('exclude').toSet();
 
     final target = stringsArg('target');
     final targets = target.isNotEmpty
-        ? testFinder.findTests(target, testFileSuffix)
+        ? testFinder.findTests(target, testFileSuffix, excludes)
         : testFinder.findAllTests(
-            excludes: stringsArg('exclude').toSet(),
+            excludes: excludes,
             testFileSuffix: testFileSuffix,
           );
 

packages/patrol_cli/lib/src/commands/build_macos.dart

@@ -90,12 +90,13 @@ class BuildMacOSCommand extends PatrolCommand {
     }
 
     final testFinder = _testFinderFactory.create(testDirectory);
+    final excludes = stringsArg('exclude').toSet();
 
     final target = stringsArg('target');
     final targets = target.isNotEmpty
-        ? testFinder.findTests(target, testFileSuffix)
+        ? testFinder.findTests(target, testFileSuffix, excludes)
         : testFinder.findAllTests(
-            excludes: stringsArg('exclude').toSet(),
+            excludes: excludes,
             testFileSuffix: testFileSuffix,
           );
 

packages/patrol_cli/lib/src/commands/test.dart

@@ -106,12 +106,13 @@ class TestCommand extends PatrolCommand {
     final testFileSuffix = config.testFileSuffix;
 
     final testFinder = _testFinderFactory.create(testDirectory);
+    final excludes = stringsArg('exclude').toSet();
 
     final target = stringsArg('target');
     final targets = target.isNotEmpty
-        ? testFinder.findTests(target, testFileSuffix)
+        ? testFinder.findTests(target, testFileSuffix, excludes)
         : testFinder.findAllTests(
-            excludes: stringsArg('exclude').toSet(),
+            excludes: excludes,
             testFileSuffix: testFileSuffix,
           );
 

packages/patrol_cli/lib/src/test_finder.dart

@@ -41,19 +41,25 @@ class TestFinder {
   List<String> findTests(
     List<String> targets, [
     String testFileSuffix = _kDefaultTestFileSuffix,
+    Set<String> excludes = const {},
   ]) {
     final testFiles = <String>[];
+    final absoluteExcludes = _toAbsoluteExcludes(excludes);
 
     for (final target in targets) {
       if (target.endsWith(testFileSuffix)) {
         final isFile = _fs.isFileSync(target);
         if (!isFile) {
           throwToolExit('target file $target does not exist');
         }
-        testFiles.add(_fs.file(target).absolute.path);
+        final absoluteTargetPath = _fs.file(target).absolute.path;
+        if (!_isExcluded(absoluteTargetPath, absoluteExcludes)) {
+          testFiles.add(absoluteTargetPath);
+        }
       } else if (_fs.isDirectorySync(target)) {
         final foundTargets = findAllTests(
-          directory: _fs.directory(target),
+          directory: _fs.directory(target).absolute,
+          excludes: excludes,
           testFileSuffix: testFileSuffix,
         );
         if (foundTargets.isEmpty) {
@@ -86,16 +92,7 @@ class TestFinder {
       throwToolExit("Directory ${directory.path} doesn't exist");
     }
 
-    final absoluteExcludes = excludes.map((exclude) {
-      if (_fs.path.isAbsolute(exclude)) {
-        return exclude;
-      }
-      // Resolve relative to rootDir (not the process CWD).
-      // _rootDir.path is absolute in production (findRootDirectory returns
-      // an absolute directory), so avoid calling .absolute which would
-      // re-resolve against CWD.
-      return _fs.path.join(_rootDir.path, exclude);
-    }).toSet();
+    final absoluteExcludes = _toAbsoluteExcludes(excludes);
 
     return directory
         .listSync(recursive: true, followLinks: false)
@@ -110,28 +107,47 @@ class TestFinder {
         .where((fileSystemEntity) {
           final filePath = fileSystemEntity.path;
 
-          for (final exclude in absoluteExcludes) {
-            // Check if the file exactly matches an excluded file
-            if (filePath == exclude) {
-              return false;
-            }
-
-            // Check if the file is inside an excluded directory
-            // Need to add path separator to avoid matching prefixes
-            // e.g., "patrol_test/permissions" shouldn't match "patrol_test/permissions_other"
-            final excludeWithSeparator = exclude.endsWith(_fs.path.separator)
-                ? exclude
-                : exclude + _fs.path.separator;
-            if (filePath.startsWith(excludeWithSeparator)) {
-              return false;
-            }
-          }
-
-          return true;
+          return !_isExcluded(filePath, absoluteExcludes);
         })
         .map((entity) => entity.absolute.path)
         .toList();
   }
+
+  /// Converts `excludes` to absolute paths.
+  ///
+  /// Pass file paths or directory paths in `excludes`, either absolute or
+  /// relative to [_rootDir]. Absolute paths are kept as-is, and relative paths
+  /// are resolved against [_rootDir] (not the process working directory).
+  Set<String> _toAbsoluteExcludes(Set<String> excludes) {
+    return excludes.map((exclude) {
+      if (_fs.path.isAbsolute(exclude)) {
+        return exclude;
+      }
+      return _fs.path.join(_rootDir.path, exclude);
+    }).toSet();
+  }
+
+  /// Returns `true` when [filePath] should be filtered out by exclusions.
+  ///
+  /// A file is excluded if it exactly matches an excluded path, or if it is
+  /// located under an excluded directory path.
+  bool _isExcluded(String filePath, Set<String> absoluteExcludes) {
+    for (final exclude in absoluteExcludes) {
+      // Check if the file exactly matches an excluded file.
+      if (filePath == exclude) {
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      final excludeWithSeparator = exclude.endsWith(_fs.path.separator)
+          ? exclude
+          : exclude + _fs.path.separator;
+      if (filePath.startsWith(excludeWithSeparator)) {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return false;
+  }
 }
 
 class TestFinderFactory {

packages/patrol_cli/test/general/test_finder_test.dart

@@ -178,6 +178,49 @@ void _test(Platform platform) {
       );
     });
 
+    test('applies excludes when target is a directory', () {
+      // given
+      final included = fs.path.join(
+        'patrol_test',
+        'permissions',
+        'other_test.dart',
+      );
+      final excluded = fs.path.join(
+        'patrol_test',
+        'permissions',
+        'test',
+        'excluded_test.dart',
+      );
+      fs.file(included).createSync(recursive: true);
+      fs.file(excluded).createSync(recursive: true);
+
+      // when
+      final found = testFinder.findTests(
+        [fs.path.join('patrol_test', 'permissions')],
+        '_test.dart',
+        {fs.path.join('patrol_test', 'permissions', 'test', '')},
+      );
+
+      // then
+      expect(found, equals([fs.path.join(fs.currentDirectory.path, included)]));
+    });
+
+    test('applies excludes when target is a file', () {
+      // given
+      final targetFile = fs.path.join('patrol_test', 'app_test.dart');
+      fs.file(targetFile).createSync(recursive: true);
+
+      // when
+      final found = testFinder.findTests(
+        [targetFile],
+        '_test.dart',
+        {targetFile},
+      );
+
+      // then
+      expect(found, isEmpty);
+    });
+
     test('finds tests when targets are files and directories', () {
       // given
       final testRoot = fs.directory('patrol_test')..createSync();