From 80ec8c894c4928f0d2753b1693cffed69179b2da Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Tim Paine <3105306+timkpaine@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2026 17:49:41 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] Small fix for nested patterns

---
 check_dist/_core.py          | 16 ++++++++++++----
 check_dist/tests/test_all.py | 30 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 42 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/check_dist/_core.py b/check_dist/_core.py
index a8bbe4c..04c000c 100644
--- a/check_dist/_core.py
+++ b/check_dist/_core.py
@@ -495,12 +495,20 @@ def check_present(files: list[str], patterns: list[str], dist_type: str) -> list
     return errors
 
 
-def check_absent(files: list[str], patterns: list[str], dist_type: str) -> list[str]:
-    """Return error strings for any *patterns* found in *files*."""
+def check_absent(files: list[str], patterns: list[str], dist_type: str, *, present_patterns: list[str] | None = None) -> list[str]:
+    """Return error strings for any *patterns* found in *files*.
+
+    When *present_patterns* is given, files nested inside a directory
+    that matches a present pattern are not flagged.  This avoids false
+    positives like ``lerna/tests/fake_package/pyproject.toml`` being
+    flagged as unwanted when ``lerna`` is a required present pattern.
+    """
     errors: list[str] = []
     for pattern in patterns:
         translated = translate_extension(pattern)
         matching = [f for f in files if matches_pattern(f, pattern)]
+        if matching and present_patterns:
+            matching = [f for f in matching if not any(matches_pattern(f, pp) for pp in present_patterns)]
         if matching:
             msg = f"{dist_type}: unwanted pattern '{pattern}' matched: {', '.join(matching)}"
             if translated != pattern:
@@ -745,7 +753,7 @@ def check_dist(
                 messages.append(f"  Warning: could not compare against VCS: {exc}")
 
             errors.extend(check_present(sdist_files, config["sdist"]["present"], "sdist"))
-            errors.extend(check_absent(sdist_files, config["sdist"]["absent"], "sdist"))
+            errors.extend(check_absent(sdist_files, config["sdist"]["absent"], "sdist", present_patterns=config["sdist"]["present"]))
             errors.extend(check_wrong_platform_extensions(sdist_files, "sdist"))
 
         # ── wheel checks ─────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -757,7 +765,7 @@ def check_dist(
                     messages.append(f"  {f}")
 
             errors.extend(check_present(wheel_files, config["wheel"]["present"], "wheel"))
-            errors.extend(check_absent(wheel_files, config["wheel"]["absent"], "wheel"))
+            errors.extend(check_absent(wheel_files, config["wheel"]["absent"], "wheel", present_patterns=config["wheel"]["present"]))
             errors.extend(check_wrong_platform_extensions(wheel_files, "wheel"))
     finally:
         if pre_built is None:
diff --git a/check_dist/tests/test_all.py b/check_dist/tests/test_all.py
index b9ac68a..29c360e 100644
--- a/check_dist/tests/test_all.py
+++ b/check_dist/tests/test_all.py
@@ -205,6 +205,36 @@ def test_docs_directory(self):
         assert len(errors) == 1
         assert "docs" in errors[0]
 
+    def test_nested_in_present_pattern_skipped(self):
+        """Files nested inside a 'present' dir are not flagged as absent."""
+        files = [
+            "lerna/__init__.py",
+            "lerna/test_utils/configs/missing_init_py/.gitignore",
+            "lerna/tests/fake_package/pyproject.toml",
+            "lerna/tests/fake_package2/pyproject.toml",
+            "pyproject.toml",  # top-level: should still be caught
+        ]
+        errors = check_absent(
+            files,
+            [".gitignore", "pyproject.toml"],
+            "wheel",
+            present_patterns=["lerna"],
+        )
+        assert len(errors) == 1
+        assert "pyproject.toml" in errors[0]
+        # Only the top-level pyproject.toml, not the nested ones
+        assert "lerna/" not in errors[0]
+
+    def test_present_patterns_none_flags_all(self):
+        """Without present_patterns, nested files are still flagged."""
+        files = [
+            "lerna/tests/fake_package/pyproject.toml",
+            "pyproject.toml",
+        ]
+        errors = check_absent(files, ["pyproject.toml"], "wheel")
+        assert len(errors) == 1
+        assert "lerna/tests/fake_package/pyproject.toml" in errors[0]
+
 
 # ── check_wrong_platform_extensions ──────────────────────────────────