feat(core): allow executor definition to point to another executor (#23576)

Add support for executor definitions that point to another executor. The
upcoming Angular 18 uses this feature:
https://github.com/angular/angular-cli/blob/main/packages/angular_devkit/build_angular/builders.json#L4,
so we need to be able to resolve the builders correctly using such a
configuration.

Note: the change is also in [the Angular 18
PR](https://github.com/nrwl/nx/pull/22509), where it's tested with the
Angular version that requires it. I'm extracting the change to this PR
to facilitate reviews and reduce the size of the Angular 18 PR.

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## Current Behavior
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## Expected Behavior
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## Related Issue(s)
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Fixes #

packages/nx/src/adapter/ngcli-adapter.ts

@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ import {
   Executor,
   ExecutorConfig,
   ExecutorContext,
+  ExecutorJsonEntryConfig,
   ExecutorsJson,
   GeneratorCallback,
   TaskGraphExecutor,
@@ -1174,14 +1175,11 @@ async function getWrappedWorkspaceNodeModulesArchitectHost(
         builderName
       );
       const builderInfo = this.readExecutor(packageName, builderName);
-      const { builders, executors } =
-        readJsonFile<ExecutorsJson>(executorsFilePath);
+
       return {
         name: builderStr,
         builderName,
-        description:
-          builders?.[builderName]?.description ??
-          executors?.[builderName]?.description,
+        description: executorConfig.description,
         optionSchema: builderInfo.schema,
         import: resolveImplementation(
           executorConfig.implementation,
@@ -1190,7 +1188,14 @@ async function getWrappedWorkspaceNodeModulesArchitectHost(
       };
     }
 
-    private readExecutorsJson(nodeModule: string, builder: string) {
+    private readExecutorsJson(
+      nodeModule: string,
+      builder: string
+    ): {
+      executorsFilePath: string;
+      executorConfig: ExecutorJsonEntryConfig;
+      isNgCompat: true;
+    } {
       const { json: packageJson, path: packageJsonPath } =
         readPluginPackageJson(
           nodeModule,
@@ -1209,18 +1214,19 @@ async function getWrappedWorkspaceNodeModulesArchitectHost(
         join(dirname(packageJsonPath), executorsFile)
       );
       const executorsJson = readJsonFile<ExecutorsJson>(executorsFilePath);
-      const executorConfig: {
-        implementation: string;
-        batchImplementation?: string;
-        schema: string;
-        hasher?: string;
-      } =
+      const executorConfig =
         executorsJson.builders?.[builder] ?? executorsJson.executors?.[builder];
       if (!executorConfig) {
         throw new Error(
           `Cannot find builder '${builder}' in ${executorsFilePath}.`
         );
       }
+      if (typeof executorConfig === 'string') {
+        // Angular CLI can have a builder pointing to another package:builder
+        const [packageName, executorName] = executorConfig.split(':');
+        return this.readExecutorsJson(packageName, executorName);
+      }
+
       return { executorsFilePath, executorConfig, isNgCompat: true };
     }
 

packages/nx/src/command-line/run/executor-utils.ts

@@ -129,17 +129,18 @@ function readExecutorJson(
     join(dirname(packageJsonPath), executorsFile)
   );
   const executorsJson = readJsonFile<ExecutorsJson>(executorsFilePath);
-  const executorConfig: {
-    implementation: string;
-    batchImplementation?: string;
-    schema: string;
-    hasher?: string;
-  } = executorsJson.executors?.[executor] || executorsJson.builders?.[executor];
+  const executorConfig =
+    executorsJson.executors?.[executor] || executorsJson.builders?.[executor];
   if (!executorConfig) {
     throw new Error(
       `Cannot find executor '${executor}' in ${executorsFilePath}.`
     );
   }
+  if (typeof executorConfig === 'string') {
+    // Angular CLI can have a builder pointing to another package:builder
+    const [packageName, executorName] = executorConfig.split(':');
+    return readExecutorJson(packageName, executorName, root, projects);
+  }
   const isNgCompat = !executorsJson.executors?.[executor];
   return { executorsFilePath, executorConfig, isNgCompat };
 }

packages/nx/src/config/misc-interfaces.ts

@@ -37,13 +37,14 @@ export interface GeneratorsJsonEntry {
 
 export type OutputCaptureMethod = 'direct-nodejs' | 'pipe';
 
-export interface ExecutorsJsonEntry {
+export interface ExecutorJsonEntryConfig {
   schema: string;
   implementation: string;
   batchImplementation?: string;
   description?: string;
   hasher?: string;
 }
+export type ExecutorsJsonEntry = string | ExecutorJsonEntryConfig;
 
 export type Dependencies = 'dependencies' | 'devDependencies';
 

packages/nx/src/utils/plugins/plugin-capabilities.ts

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { workspaceRoot } from '../workspace-root';
 import { hasElements } from './shared';
 
 import type { PluginCapabilities } from './models';
+import type { ExecutorsJsonEntry } from '../../config/misc-interfaces';
 
 function tryGetCollection<T extends object>(
   packageJsonPath: string,
@@ -179,7 +180,11 @@ export async function listPluginCapabilities(
     bodyLines.push('');
     bodyLines.push(
       ...Object.keys(plugin.executors).map(
-        (name) => `${chalk.bold(name)} : ${plugin.executors[name].description}`
+        (name) =>
+          `${chalk.bold(name)} : ${resolveExecutorDescription(
+            plugin.executors[name],
+            projects
+          )}`
       )
     );
   }
@@ -197,3 +202,45 @@ export async function listPluginCapabilities(
     bodyLines,
   });
 }
+
+function resolveExecutorDescription(
+  executorJsonEntry: ExecutorsJsonEntry,
+  projects: Record<string, ProjectConfiguration>
+) {
+  try {
+    if (typeof executorJsonEntry === 'string') {
+      // it points to another executor, resolve it
+      const [pkgName, executor] = executorJsonEntry.split(':');
+      const collection = loadExecutorsCollection(
+        workspaceRoot,
+        pkgName,
+        projects
+      );
+
+      return resolveExecutorDescription(collection[executor], projects);
+    }
+
+    return executorJsonEntry.description;
+  } catch {
+    return 'No description available';
+  }
+}
+
+function loadExecutorsCollection(
+  workspaceRoot: string,
+  pluginName: string,
+  projects: Record<string, ProjectConfiguration>
+): { [name: string]: ExecutorsJsonEntry } {
+  const { json: packageJson, path: packageJsonPath } = readPluginPackageJson(
+    pluginName,
+    projects,
+    getNxRequirePaths(workspaceRoot)
+  );
+
+  return {
+    ...tryGetCollection(packageJsonPath, packageJson.builders, 'builders'),
+    ...tryGetCollection(packageJsonPath, packageJson.executors, 'builders'),
+    ...tryGetCollection(packageJsonPath, packageJson.builders, 'executors'),
+    ...tryGetCollection(packageJsonPath, packageJson.executors, 'executors'),
+  };
+}

packages/plugin/src/migrations/update-16-0-0/cli-in-schema-json.ts

@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ function deleteCliPropFromSchemaFile(
   entry: ExecutorsJsonEntry | GeneratorsJsonEntry,
   tree: Tree
 ) {
-  if (!entry.schema) {
+  if (typeof entry === 'string' || !entry.schema) {
     return;
   }
   const schemaPath = joinPathFragments(dirname(collectionPath), entry.schema);