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@orien orien commented Dec 19, 2025

Context

When running stack_master apply, CloudFormation occasionally reports "The submitted information didn't contain changes. Submit different information to create a change set." This occurs even when stack_master displays a template diff, which confuses users. The issue arises when template changes are cosmetic (whitespace, comments, formatting) or don't affect actual resources, but the error message doesn't explain this clearly.

Changes

  • Add user_friendly_changeset_error helper method to detect common "no changes" error patterns and provide clearer explanation
  • Apply the improved messaging to both create and update stack flows
  • Explain that template differences may exist but no resource changes are needed, and the stack is already in the desired state
  • Add comprehensive test coverage for various CloudFormation error message variations

Resolves #244.

When CloudFormation returns 'no changes' errors during apply, provide
a clearer explanation that while the template may have differences
(e.g., whitespace, comments, formatting), no actual resource changes
are needed and the stack is already in the desired state.

This addresses the confusing scenario where users see a template diff
but CloudFormation reports: 'The submitted information didn't contain
changes. Submit different information to create a change set.'

Changes:
- Add user_friendly_changeset_error method to detect common 'no changes'
  error messages and provide helpful context
- Update both create and update stack flows to use the improved message
- Add comprehensive tests covering various CloudFormation error messages
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2 participants