Rules symlinked from other folders are read in seemingly random order, not alphabetical

[dsent]

App Version

3.19.0

API Provider

Not Applicable / Other

Model Used

N/A

🔁 Steps to Reproduce

1. Create symlinks to a few text files from other folder in .roo/rules
2. Open Roo's Modes, select any mode.
3. Click "Preview System Prompt"
4. Observe that the inclusion order is not alphabetical (despite the documentation).

💥 Outcome Summary

Judging by the comments
# Rules from ...
in the system prompt preview, I don't see any obvious order.
Moreover, the order is different each time.
Paths to the target files, not symlinks, are listed.

I believe that the correct way to handle this is to sort symlinks in the same way that normal files are sorted. The symlink name (not the name it points to) should be used for sorting.

Symlinking files from elsewhere and naming symlinks is a standard pattern for e.g. scripts to ensure execution order, while keeping particular files in sync between multiple folders they're referred in.

This might be a Windows-specific problem.

📄 Relevant Logs or Errors (Optional)

Sample excerpt from the System Prompt preview (repo path stripped):

# Rules from <skipped>\.roo\_rules\lang.yaml:
<skipped>
# Rules from <skipped>\.roo\_rules\shell.yaml:
<skipped>
# Rules from <skipped>\.flow\config\project-brief.yaml:
<skipped>
# Rules from <skipped>\.roo\_rules\repo-guide.yaml:
<skipped>
# Rules from <skipped>\.roo\_rules\markdown.yaml:
<skipped>


After closing and opening Settings again, the order is different:

# Rules from <skipped>\.roo\_rules\markdown.yaml:
<skipped>
# Rules from <skipped>\.flow\config\project-brief.yaml:
<skipped>
# Rules from <skipped>\.roo\_rules\shell.yaml:
<skipped>
# Rules from <skipped>\.roo\_rules\lang.yaml:
<skipped>
# Rules from <skipped>\.roo\_rules\repo-guide.yaml:

[dosubot]

The Roo Code documentation states that files in .roo/rules/ are read recursively and appended to the system prompt in alphabetical order based on the filename, but it does not specify how symlinks are handled or sorted, nor does it mention any Windows-specific behavior. Your observation—that symlinked rules are included in a seemingly random order and that the order changes between sessions—does not match the documented behavior and is not addressed in any known issues or troubleshooting guides I could find. The documentation also does not clarify whether sorting should use the symlink name or the target file name, but your expectation (sorting by symlink name) aligns with standard practices for script execution order and file management workflows on most platforms.

Given that the paths shown are to the target files and not the symlinks, and the order is inconsistent, this may be a bug or an undocumented limitation, possibly specific to Windows environments. If you need deterministic ordering, a potential workaround is to avoid symlinks and copy the files directly, but I recognize this is not ideal for your workflow.

If you need further details on implementation or a workaround, let me know.
References:

• "Roo Code reads files recursively, appending their content to the system prompt in alphabetical order based on filename."
• "Roo Code reads files recursively, appending their content to the system prompt in alphabetical order based on filename."

To reply, just mention my name @dosu.

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[daniel-lxs]

Hey @dsent, Is this also happening with non-symlinked rules?

[dsent]

@daniel-lxs no; the files created directly under rules/ or rules-mode/ are read in the alphabetic order. Only symlinked files are read in a random order.