fix: reduces update logs that contain no actual changes

app/Audit/AbstractAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ protected function formatChangeValue($value): string
     }
 
 
-    protected function buildChangeDetails(array $change_set): string
+    private function buildChangeDetails(array $change_set): ?string
     {
         $changed_fields = [];
         $ignored_fields = $this->getIgnoredFields();
@@ -178,21 +178,86 @@ protected function buildChangeDetails(array $change_set): string
         }
 
         if (empty($changed_fields)) {
-            return 'properties without changes registered';
+            return null;
         }
 
         $fields_summary = count($changed_fields) . ' field(s) modified: ';
         return $fields_summary . implode(' | ', $changed_fields);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The only way to consume buildChangeDetails() for an EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE message.
+     * Returns null (suppressing the audit entry) whenever nothing meaningful changed,
+     * otherwise hands the non-null details string to $messageBuilder to assemble the
+     * final message. buildChangeDetails() is private specifically so a formatter cannot
+     * bypass this null-check.
+     */
+    final protected function formatUpdateMessage(array $change_set, \Closure $messageBuilder): ?string
+    {
+        $details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
+        if ($details === null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return $messageBuilder($details);
+    }
+
+
     protected function formatFieldChange(string $prop_name, $old_value, $new_value): ?string
     {
+        if ($this->valuesAreEffectivelyEqual($old_value, $new_value)) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
         $old_display = $this->formatChangeValue($old_value);
         $new_display = $this->formatChangeValue($new_value);
 
         return sprintf("Property \"%s\" has changed from \"%s\" to \"%s\"", $prop_name, $old_display, $new_display);
     }
 
+    protected function valuesAreEffectivelyEqual($old_value, $new_value): bool
+    {
+        if ($old_value === $new_value) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        if ($old_value instanceof \DateTimeInterface && $new_value instanceof \DateTimeInterface) {
+            return $old_value->getTimestamp() === $new_value->getTimestamp();
+        }
+
+        // A boolean column hydrated as false/true and re-written by a factory as 0/1 or "0"/"1"
+        // (e.g. PresentationFactory::setAttendingMedia(0)) is reported by Doctrine as a change
+        // (false !== 0) although the stored value is the same. Only the exact 0/1 forms are
+        // accepted; anything else next to a boolean is a real change.
+        if (is_bool($old_value) || is_bool($new_value)) {
+            $old_flag = $this->asBooleanFlag($old_value);
+            $new_flag = $this->asBooleanFlag($new_value);
+            return $old_flag !== null && $new_flag !== null && $old_flag === $new_flag;
+        }
+
+        if ((is_scalar($old_value) || is_null($old_value)) && (is_scalar($new_value) || is_null($new_value))) {
+            return $this->formatChangeValue($old_value) === $this->formatChangeValue($new_value);
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Maps true/1/"1" to true and false/0/"0" to false; any other value yields null.
+     */
+    private function asBooleanFlag($value): ?bool
+    {
+        if (is_bool($value)) {
+            return $value;
+        }
+        if ($value === 0 || $value === "0") {
+            return false;
+        }
+        if ($value === 1 || $value === "1") {
+            return true;
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Format detailed message for many-to-many collection changes
      */

app/Audit/AuditLogOtlpStrategy.php

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public function audit($subject, array $change_set, string $event_type,  AuditCon
         if (!$this->enabled) {
             return;
         }
-            Log::debug("AuditLogOtlpStrategy::audit", ['subject' => $subject, 'change_set' => $change_set, 'event_type' => $event_type]);
+        Log::debug("AuditLogOtlpStrategy::audit", ['subject' => $subject, 'change_set' => $change_set, 'event_type' => $event_type]);
         try {
             $entity = $this->resolveAuditableEntity($subject);
             if (is_null($entity)) {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public function audit($subject, array $change_set, string $event_type,  AuditCon
             }
             $description = $formatter->format($subject, $change_set);
             if(is_null($description)){
-                Log::warning("AuditLogOtlpStrategy::audit description is empty");
+                Log::debug("AuditLogOtlpStrategy::audit description is empty");
                 return;
             }
             $auditData = $this->buildAuditLogData($entity, $subject, $change_set, $event_type, $ctx);
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ public function audit($subject, array $change_set, string $event_type,  AuditCon
                 job: $job,
             );
             Log::debug("AuditLogOtlpStrategy::audit entry sent to OTEL", ["user_id" => $ctx->userId, "user_email" => $ctx->userEmail]);
-
         } catch (\Exception $ex) {
             Log::error('OTEL audit logging error: ' . $ex->getMessage(), [
                 'exception' => $ex,

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/AffiliationAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     return sprintf("Affiliation (%s) for '%s' (%s) created by user %s", $id, $owner_name, $job_title, $this->getUserInfo());
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf("Affiliation (%s) for '%s' (%s) updated: %s by user %s", $id, $owner_name, $job_title, $details, $this->getUserInfo());
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($details) => sprintf("Affiliation (%s) for '%s' (%s) updated: %s by user %s", $id, $owner_name, $job_title, $details, $this->getUserInfo()));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf("Affiliation (%s) for '%s' (%s) deleted by user %s", $id, $owner_name, $job_title, $this->getUserInfo());

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/AssignedSelectionPlanExtraQuestionTypeAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -52,14 +52,13 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
                     $question_type = $subject->getQuestionType();
                     $question_label = $question_type ? ($question_type->getLabel() ?? 'Unknown Question') : 'Unknown Question';
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Assigned Selection Plan Extra Question (%s) '%s' updated: %s by user %s",
                         $id,
                         $question_label,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     $question_type = $subject->getQuestionType();

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/CompanyAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -48,14 +48,13 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Company '%s' (%d) updated: %s by user %s",
                         $name,
                         $id,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/ExtraQuestionTypeValueAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_CREATION:
                     return sprintf("Extra Question Value '%s' (%s) for Question '%s' created by user %s", $label, $id, $question_label, $this->getUserInfo());
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf("Extra Question Value '%s' (%s) for Question '%s' updated: %s by user %s", $label, $id, $question_label, $details, $this->getUserInfo());
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($details) => sprintf("Extra Question Value '%s' (%s) for Question '%s' updated: %s by user %s", $label, $id, $question_label, $details, $this->getUserInfo()));
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf("Extra Question Value '%s' (%s) for Question '%s' deleted by user %s", $label, $id, $question_label, $this->getUserInfo());
             }

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/FeaturedSpeakerAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -52,14 +52,13 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Featured speaker '%s' (%s) updated: %s by user %s",
                         $speaker_name,
                         $speaker_id,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/FileAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -44,15 +44,14 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "File '%s' (%s) (%d) updated: %s by user %s",
                         $name,
                         $filename,
                         $id,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PrePaidSummitRegistrationDiscountCodeAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -71,16 +71,15 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Pre-Paid Discount Code '%s' (%d) for Summit '%s' updated: %s (current: %s) by user %s",
                         $code,
                         $id,
                         $summit_name,
                         $change_details,
                         $discount_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PresentationAttendeeVoteAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_CREATION:
                     return sprintf("Presentation Attendee Vote (%s) for '%s' created by user %s", $id, $title, $this->getUserInfo());
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf("Presentation Attendee Vote (%s) for '%s' updated: %s by user %s", $id, $title, $details, $this->getUserInfo());
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($details) => sprintf("Presentation Attendee Vote (%s) for '%s' updated: %s by user %s", $id, $title, $details, $this->getUserInfo()));
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf("Presentation Attendee Vote (%s) for '%s' deleted by user %s", $id, $title, $this->getUserInfo());
             }

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PresentationCategoryAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -47,16 +47,15 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Presentation Category '%s' (%s) (%d) for Summit '%s' updated: %s by user %s",
                         $title,
                         $code,
                         $id,
                         $summit_name,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PresentationCategoryGroupAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -49,15 +49,14 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Track Group (PresentationCategoryGroup) '%s' (%s) for Summit '%s' updated: %s by user %s",
                         $name,
                         $id,
                         $summit_name,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PresentationFormatters/BasePresentationAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public function format(mixed $subject, array $change_set): ?string
 
     abstract protected function formatCreation(array $data): string;
 
-    abstract protected function formatUpdate(array $data, array $change_set): string;
+    abstract protected function formatUpdate(array $data, array $change_set): ?string;
 
     abstract protected function formatDeletion(array $data): string;
 }

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PresentationFormatters/PresentationActionTypeAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -46,15 +46,14 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Presentation Action Type '%s' (%d) for Summit '%s' updated: %s by user %s",
                         $label,
                         $id,
                         $summit_name,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PresentationFormatters/PresentationEventApiAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -30,15 +30,15 @@ protected function formatCreation(array $data): string
         );
     }
 
-    protected function formatUpdate(array $data, array $change_set): string
+    protected function formatUpdate(array $data, array $change_set): ?string
     {
-        return sprintf(
+        return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
             "Presentation '%s' (%s) updated: %s by user %s",
             $data['title'],
             $data['id'],
-            $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set),
+            $change_details,
             $this->getUserInfo()
-        );
+        ));
     }
 
     protected function formatDeletion(array $data): string

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PresentationFormatters/PresentationLinkAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -48,15 +48,14 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Presentation Link '%s' (%d) for presentation '%s' updated: %s by user %s",
                         $title,
                         $id,
                         $presentation_title,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PresentationFormatters/PresentationMediaUploadAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -49,15 +49,14 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Presentation Media Upload '%s' (%d) for presentation '%s' updated: %s by user %s",
                         $title,
                         $id,
                         $presentation_title,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PresentationFormatters/PresentationSlideAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -46,15 +46,14 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Presentation Slide '%s' (%d) for presentation '%s' updated: %s by user %s",
                         $title,
                         $id,
                         $presentation_title,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(

app/Audit/ConcreteFormatters/PresentationFormatters/PresentationSpeakerAuditLogFormatter.php

@@ -46,14 +46,13 @@ public function format($subject, array $change_set): ?string
                     );
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_UPDATE:
-                    $change_details = $this->buildChangeDetails($change_set);
-                    return sprintf(
+                    return $this->formatUpdateMessage($change_set, fn($change_details) => sprintf(
                         "Speaker '%s' (%s) updated: %s by user %s",
                         $full_name,
                         $speaker_id,
                         $change_details,
                         $this->getUserInfo()
-                    );
+                    ));
 
                 case IAuditStrategy::EVENT_ENTITY_DELETION:
                     return sprintf(