fix(rush): default rush-pnpm query commands to recursive (#5822)

* fix(rush): default rush-pnpm query commands to recursive

* Rush change.

Co-authored-by: Ian Clanton-Thuon <iclanton@users.noreply.github.com>

---------

Co-authored-by: kiranmagic7 <262980978+kiranmagic7@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Ian Clanton-Thuon <iclanton@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: kiranmagic7

common/changes/@microsoft/rush/fix-rush-pnpm-recursive-queries_2026-06-07-06-00.json

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "changes": [
+    {
+      "comment": "Default `rush-pnpm outdated` and `rush-pnpm why` to recursive workspace queries.",
+      "type": "minor",
+      "packageName": "@microsoft/rush"
+    }
+  ],
+  "packageName": "@microsoft/rush",
+  "email": "262980978+kiranmagic7@users.noreply.github.com"
+}

libraries/rush-lib/src/cli/RushPnpmCommandLineParser.ts

@@ -36,6 +36,25 @@ import { EnvironmentVariableNames } from '../api/EnvironmentConfiguration';
 import { initializeDotEnv } from '../logic/dotenv';
 
 const RUSH_SKIP_CHECKS_PARAMETER: string = '--rush-skip-checks';
+const RUSH_PNPM_RECURSIVE_DEFAULT_COMMANDS: Set<string> = new Set(['outdated', 'why']);
+
+function _hasRecursiveFlag(pnpmArgs: string[]): boolean {
+  return pnpmArgs.some((arg) => arg === '-r' || arg === '--recursive' || arg.startsWith('--recursive='));
+}
+
+function _hasGlobalFlag(pnpmArgs: string[]): boolean {
+  return pnpmArgs.some((arg) => arg === '-g' || arg === '--global' || arg.startsWith('--global='));
+}
+
+function _addDefaultRecursiveFlagIfNeeded(commandName: string, pnpmArgs: string[]): void {
+  if (
+    RUSH_PNPM_RECURSIVE_DEFAULT_COMMANDS.has(commandName) &&
+    !_hasRecursiveFlag(pnpmArgs) &&
+    !_hasGlobalFlag(pnpmArgs)
+  ) {
+    pnpmArgs.splice(1, 0, '--recursive');
+  }
+}
 
 /**
  * Options for RushPnpmCommandLineParser
@@ -253,6 +272,7 @@ export class RushPnpmCommandLineParser {
       }
 
       this._commandName = commandName;
+      _addDefaultRecursiveFlagIfNeeded(commandName, pnpmArgs);
 
       // Warn about commands known not to work
       /* eslint-disable no-fallthrough */

libraries/rush-lib/src/cli/test/RushPnpmCommandLineParser.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Licensed under the MIT license.
+// See LICENSE in the project root for license information.
+
+import { RushPnpmCommandLineParser } from '../RushPnpmCommandLineParser';
+
+interface IRushPnpmCommandLineParserInternals {
+  _validatePnpmUsageAsync(pnpmArgs: string[]): Promise<void>;
+}
+
+async function validatePnpmArgsAsync(pnpmArgs: string[]): Promise<string[]> {
+  const parser: IRushPnpmCommandLineParserInternals = Object.create(RushPnpmCommandLineParser.prototype);
+  await parser._validatePnpmUsageAsync(pnpmArgs);
+  return pnpmArgs;
+}
+
+describe(RushPnpmCommandLineParser.name, () => {
+  it('adds recursive mode to workspace query commands by default', async () => {
+    await expect(validatePnpmArgsAsync(['outdated'])).resolves.toEqual(['outdated', '--recursive']);
+    await expect(validatePnpmArgsAsync(['why', '@rushstack/node-core-library'])).resolves.toEqual([
+      'why',
+      '--recursive',
+      '@rushstack/node-core-library'
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('does not duplicate explicit recursive flags', async () => {
+    await expect(validatePnpmArgsAsync(['outdated', '-r'])).resolves.toEqual(['outdated', '-r']);
+    await expect(
+      validatePnpmArgsAsync(['why', '--recursive', '@rushstack/node-core-library'])
+    ).resolves.toEqual(['why', '--recursive', '@rushstack/node-core-library']);
+  });
+
+  it('does not force recursive mode for global outdated checks', async () => {
+    await expect(validatePnpmArgsAsync(['outdated', '--global'])).resolves.toEqual(['outdated', '--global']);
+  });
+});