fix: detect nested variable references and hide tracked properties on triggers (#8804)

- Fix hasVariableReference regex to detect variables() calls nested inside other functions like substring(), length(), concat(), etc. Previously the regex required @ directly before variables, missing patterns like @{substring(variables('x'), ...)}.

- Prevent tracked properties from showing on triggers. The backend never supports tracked properties on triggers regardless of what the manifest declares.

- Added unit tests for nested variable reference patterns in both designer v1 and v2. Changes mirrored in both libs/designer and libs/designer-v2.

Author: hartra344

libs/designer-v2/src/lib/core/actions/bjsworkflow/settings.ts

@@ -848,12 +848,18 @@ const getTrackedProperties = (isTrigger: boolean, manifest?: OperationManifest,
 };
 
 const areTrackedPropertiesSupported = (isTrigger: boolean, manifest?: OperationManifest): boolean => {
+  // Tracked properties are never supported for triggers (backend limitation),
+  // regardless of what the manifest declares. See Azure/logicapps#798.
+  if (isTrigger) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   if (manifest) {
     const setting = getOperationSettingFromManifest(manifest, 'trackedProperties') as OperationManifestSetting<void> | undefined;
     return isSettingSupportedFromOperationManifest(setting, isTrigger);
   }
 
-  return !isTrigger;
+  return true;
 };
 
 const getSecureInputsSetting = (definition?: LogicAppsV2.OperationDefinition): boolean => {

libs/designer-v2/src/lib/core/parsers/ParseReduxAction.ts

@@ -208,13 +208,17 @@ export const detectSequentialInitializeVariables = (definition: LogicAppsV2.Work
 };
 
 /**
- * Checks if a variable value contains references to other variables
- * using patterns: @{variable({name})} or @variable({name})
+ * Checks if a variable value contains references to other variables.
+ * Detects variables() calls in any context including:
+ * - Direct references: @variables('name') or @{variables('name')}
+ * - Nested in expressions: @{substring(variables('name'), ...)}
+ * - Inside other functions: @{length(variables('name'))}
  */
 export const hasVariableReference = (value: any): boolean => {
   if (typeof value === 'string') {
-    // Check for @{variable(...)} or @variable(...) patterns
-    const variableReferencePattern = /@\{?variables?\s*\([^)]*\)\}?/i;
+    // Check for variable(s)(...) anywhere in the string, including nested in expressions.
+    // This catches @variable('x'), @variables('x'), @{variables('x')}, and @{substring(variables('x'), ...)} etc.
+    const variableReferencePattern = /\bvariables?\s*\(/i;
     return variableReferencePattern.test(value);
   }
   if (Array.isArray(value)) {

libs/designer-v2/src/lib/core/parsers/__test__/combineSequentialInitializeVariables.spec.ts

@@ -81,6 +81,26 @@ describe('combineSequentialInitializeVariables', () => {
       const value = "prefix @{variables('test')} suffix";
       expect(hasVariableReference(value)).toBe(true);
     });
+
+    it('should detect variables() nested inside other functions (issue #1447)', () => {
+      const value = "@{substring(variables('alert-resource-name'), 0, sub(length(variables('alert-resource-name')), 4)) }";
+      expect(hasVariableReference(value)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should detect variables() inside length()', () => {
+      const value = "@{length(variables('myList'))}";
+      expect(hasVariableReference(value)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should detect variables() inside concat()', () => {
+      const value = "@{concat('prefix-', variables('name'), '-suffix')}";
+      expect(hasVariableReference(value)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should detect variables() inside toLower()', () => {
+      const value = "@{toLower(variables('myVar'))}";
+      expect(hasVariableReference(value)).toBe(true);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('sequential variable combining', () => {
@@ -345,6 +365,31 @@ describe('combineSequentialInitializeVariables', () => {
       expect(result.actions!.Initialize_var2).toBeDefined();
     });
 
+    it('should NOT combine when variable references another variable inside nested functions (issue #1447)', () => {
+      const definition = createBaseWorkflowDefinition();
+      definition.actions = {
+        Initialize_var1: createInitializeVariableAction([{ name: 'alert-resource-name', type: 'string', value: 'thhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh' }]),
+        Initialize_var2: createInitializeVariableAction(
+          [
+            {
+              name: 'alert-logic-app-name',
+              type: 'string',
+              value: "@{substring(variables('alert-resource-name'), 0, sub(length(variables('alert-resource-name')), 4)) }",
+            },
+          ],
+          {
+            Initialize_var1: ['SUCCEEDED'],
+          }
+        ),
+      };
+
+      const result = combineSequentialInitializeVariables(definition);
+      expect(result.actions).toBeDefined();
+      expect(Object.keys(result.actions!)).toHaveLength(2);
+      expect(result.actions!.Initialize_var1).toBeDefined();
+      expect(result.actions!.Initialize_var2).toBeDefined();
+    });
+
     it('should handle multiple parallel branches from same parent', () => {
       const definition = createBaseWorkflowDefinition();
       definition.actions = {

libs/designer/src/lib/core/actions/bjsworkflow/settings.ts

@@ -848,12 +848,18 @@ const getTrackedProperties = (isTrigger: boolean, manifest?: OperationManifest,
 };
 
 const areTrackedPropertiesSupported = (isTrigger: boolean, manifest?: OperationManifest): boolean => {
+  // Tracked properties are never supported for triggers (backend limitation),
+  // regardless of what the manifest declares. See Azure/logicapps#798.
+  if (isTrigger) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   if (manifest) {
     const setting = getOperationSettingFromManifest(manifest, 'trackedProperties') as OperationManifestSetting<void> | undefined;
     return isSettingSupportedFromOperationManifest(setting, isTrigger);
   }
 
-  return !isTrigger;
+  return true;
 };
 
 const getSecureInputsSetting = (definition?: LogicAppsV2.OperationDefinition): boolean => {

libs/designer/src/lib/core/parsers/ParseReduxAction.ts

@@ -205,13 +205,17 @@ export const detectSequentialInitializeVariables = (definition: LogicAppsV2.Work
 };
 
 /**
- * Checks if a variable value contains references to other variables
- * using patterns: @{variable({name})} or @variable({name})
+ * Checks if a variable value contains references to other variables.
+ * Detects variables() calls in any context including:
+ * - Direct references: @variables('name') or @{variables('name')}
+ * - Nested in expressions: @{substring(variables('name'), ...)}
+ * - Inside other functions: @{length(variables('name'))}
  */
 export const hasVariableReference = (value: any): boolean => {
   if (typeof value === 'string') {
-    // Check for @{variable(...)} or @variable(...) patterns
-    const variableReferencePattern = /@\{?variables?\s*\([^)]*\)\}?/i;
+    // Check for variable(s)(...) anywhere in the string, including nested in expressions.
+    // This catches @variable('x'), @variables('x'), @{variables('x')}, and @{substring(variables('x'), ...)} etc.
+    const variableReferencePattern = /\bvariables?\s*\(/i;
     return variableReferencePattern.test(value);
   }
   if (Array.isArray(value)) {

libs/designer/src/lib/core/parsers/__test__/combineSequentialInitializeVariables.spec.ts

@@ -81,6 +81,26 @@ describe('combineSequentialInitializeVariables', () => {
       const value = "prefix @{variables('test')} suffix";
       expect(hasVariableReference(value)).toBe(true);
     });
+
+    it('should detect variables() nested inside other functions (issue #1447)', () => {
+      const value = "@{substring(variables('alert-resource-name'), 0, sub(length(variables('alert-resource-name')), 4)) }";
+      expect(hasVariableReference(value)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should detect variables() inside length()', () => {
+      const value = "@{length(variables('myList'))}";
+      expect(hasVariableReference(value)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should detect variables() inside concat()', () => {
+      const value = "@{concat('prefix-', variables('name'), '-suffix')}";
+      expect(hasVariableReference(value)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should detect variables() inside toLower()', () => {
+      const value = "@{toLower(variables('myVar'))}";
+      expect(hasVariableReference(value)).toBe(true);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('sequential variable combining', () => {
@@ -345,6 +365,31 @@ describe('combineSequentialInitializeVariables', () => {
       expect(result.actions!.Initialize_var2).toBeDefined();
     });
 
+    it('should NOT combine when variable references another variable inside nested functions (issue #1447)', () => {
+      const definition = createBaseWorkflowDefinition();
+      definition.actions = {
+        Initialize_var1: createInitializeVariableAction([{ name: 'alert-resource-name', type: 'string', value: 'thhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh' }]),
+        Initialize_var2: createInitializeVariableAction(
+          [
+            {
+              name: 'alert-logic-app-name',
+              type: 'string',
+              value: "@{substring(variables('alert-resource-name'), 0, sub(length(variables('alert-resource-name')), 4)) }",
+            },
+          ],
+          {
+            Initialize_var1: ['SUCCEEDED'],
+          }
+        ),
+      };
+
+      const result = combineSequentialInitializeVariables(definition);
+      expect(result.actions).toBeDefined();
+      expect(Object.keys(result.actions!)).toHaveLength(2);
+      expect(result.actions!.Initialize_var1).toBeDefined();
+      expect(result.actions!.Initialize_var2).toBeDefined();
+    });
+
     it('should handle multiple parallel branches from same parent', () => {
       const definition = createBaseWorkflowDefinition();
       definition.actions = {