refactor: skip writing generated files when content unchanged

write_if_changed in common.py compares content after stripping
timestamps (generated_at, Auto-generated on, Generated on).
applied to generate_db, generate_readme, generate_site.
eliminates timestamp-only diffs in database.json, README.md,
mkdocs.yml, and 423 docs pages.

scripts/common.py

@@ -968,6 +968,39 @@ def expand_platform_declared_names(config: dict, db: dict) -> set[str]:
     return declared
 
 
+import re
+
+_TIMESTAMP_PATTERNS = [
+    re.compile(r'"generated_at":\s*"[^"]*"'),       # database.json
+    re.compile(r'\*Auto-generated on [^*]*\*'),      # README.md
+    re.compile(r'\*Generated on [^*]*\*'),           # docs site pages
+]
+
+
+def write_if_changed(path: str, content: str) -> bool:
+    """Write content to path only if the non-timestamp content differs.
+
+    Compares new and existing content after stripping timestamp lines.
+    Returns True if the file was written, False if skipped (unchanged).
+    """
+    if os.path.exists(path):
+        with open(path) as f:
+            existing = f.read()
+        if _strip_timestamps(existing) == _strip_timestamps(content):
+            return False
+    with open(path, "w") as f:
+        f.write(content)
+    return True
+
+
+def _strip_timestamps(text: str) -> str:
+    """Remove known timestamp patterns for content comparison."""
+    result = text
+    for pattern in _TIMESTAMP_PATTERNS:
+        result = pattern.sub("", result)
+    return result
+
+
 # Validation and mode filtering -extracted to validation.py for SoC.
 # Re-exported below for backward compatibility.
 

scripts/generate_db.py

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(__file__))
-from common import compute_hashes, list_registered_platforms
+from common import compute_hashes, list_registered_platforms, write_if_changed
 
 CACHE_DIR = ".cache"
 CACHE_FILE = os.path.join(CACHE_DIR, "db_cache.json")
@@ -315,14 +315,15 @@ def main():
         "indexes": indexes,
     }
 
-    with open(args.output, "w") as f:
+    new_content = json.dumps(database, indent=2)
-        json.dump(database, f, indent=2)
+    written = write_if_changed(args.output, new_content)
 
     save_cache(CACHE_FILE, new_cache)
 
     alias_count = sum(len(v) for v in aliases.values())
     name_count = len(indexes["by_name"])
-    print(f"Generated {args.output}: {len(files)} files, {total_size:,} bytes total")
+    status = "Generated" if written else "Unchanged"
+    print(f"{status} {args.output}: {len(files)} files, {total_size:,} bytes total")
     print(f"  Name index: {name_count} names ({alias_count} aliases)")
     return 0
 

scripts/generate_readme.py

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(__file__))
-from common import list_registered_platforms, load_database, load_platform_config
+from common import list_registered_platforms, load_database, load_platform_config, write_if_changed
 from verify import verify_platform
 
 def compute_coverage(platform_name: str, platforms_dir: str, db: dict) -> dict:
@@ -316,14 +316,12 @@ def main():
     db = load_database(args.db)
 
     readme = generate_readme(db, args.platforms_dir)
-    with open("README.md", "w") as f:
+    status = "Generated" if write_if_changed("README.md", readme) else "Unchanged"
-        f.write(readme)
+    print(f"{status} ./README.md")
-    print(f"Generated ./README.md")
 
     contributing = generate_contributing()
-    with open("CONTRIBUTING.md", "w") as f:
+    status = "Generated" if write_if_changed("CONTRIBUTING.md", contributing) else "Unchanged"
-        f.write(contributing)
+    print(f"{status} ./CONTRIBUTING.md")
-    print(f"Generated ./CONTRIBUTING.md")
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":

scripts/generate_site.py

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(__file__))
-from common import list_registered_platforms, load_database, load_emulator_profiles, load_platform_config, require_yaml
+from common import list_registered_platforms, load_database, load_emulator_profiles, load_platform_config, require_yaml, write_if_changed
 
 yaml = require_yaml()
 from generate_readme import compute_coverage
@@ -2064,7 +2064,7 @@ def main():
 
     # Generate home
     print("Generating home page...")
-    (docs / "index.md").write_text(generate_home(db, coverages, profiles, registry))
+    write_if_changed(str(docs / "index.md"), generate_home(db, coverages, profiles, registry))
 
     # Build system_id -> manufacturer page map (needed by all generators)
     print("Building system cross-reference map...")
@@ -2074,37 +2074,35 @@ def main():
 
     # Generate platform pages
     print("Generating platform pages...")
-    (docs / "platforms" / "index.md").write_text(generate_platform_index(coverages))
+    write_if_changed(str(docs / "platforms" / "index.md"), generate_platform_index(coverages))
     for name, cov in coverages.items():
-        (docs / "platforms" / f"{name}.md").write_text(generate_platform_page(name, cov, registry, emulator_files))
+        write_if_changed(str(docs / "platforms" / f"{name}.md"), generate_platform_page(name, cov, registry, emulator_files))
 
     # Generate system pages
     print("Generating system pages...")
 
-    (docs / "systems" / "index.md").write_text(generate_systems_index(manufacturers))
+    write_if_changed(str(docs / "systems" / "index.md"), generate_systems_index(manufacturers))
     for mfr, consoles in manufacturers.items():
         slug = mfr.lower().replace(" ", "-")
         page = generate_system_page(mfr, consoles, platform_files, emulator_files)
-        (docs / "systems" / f"{slug}.md").write_text(page)
+        write_if_changed(str(docs / "systems" / f"{slug}.md"), page)
 
     # Generate emulator pages
     print("Generating emulator pages...")
-    (docs / "emulators" / "index.md").write_text(generate_emulators_index(profiles))
+    write_if_changed(str(docs / "emulators" / "index.md"), generate_emulators_index(profiles))
     for name, profile in profiles.items():
         page = generate_emulator_page(name, profile, db, platform_files)
-        (docs / "emulators" / f"{name}.md").write_text(page)
+        write_if_changed(str(docs / "emulators" / f"{name}.md"), page)
 
     # Generate cross-reference page
     print("Generating cross-reference page...")
-    (docs / "cross-reference.md").write_text(
+    write_if_changed(str(docs / "cross-reference.md"),
-        generate_cross_reference(coverages, profiles)
+        generate_cross_reference(coverages, profiles))
-    )
 
     # Generate gap analysis page
     print("Generating gap analysis page...")
-    (docs / "gaps.md").write_text(
+    write_if_changed(str(docs / "gaps.md"),
-        generate_gap_analysis(profiles, coverages, db)
+        generate_gap_analysis(profiles, coverages, db))
-    )
 
     # Wiki pages: copy manually maintained sources + generate dynamic ones
     print("Generating wiki pages...")
@@ -2115,11 +2113,11 @@ def main():
         for src_file in wiki_src.glob("*.md"):
             shutil.copy2(src_file, wiki_dest / src_file.name)
     # data-model.md is generated (contains live DB stats)
-    (wiki_dest / "data-model.md").write_text(generate_wiki_data_model(db, profiles))
+    write_if_changed(str(wiki_dest / "data-model.md"), generate_wiki_data_model(db, profiles))
 
     # Generate contributing
     print("Generating contributing page...")
-    (docs / "contributing.md").write_text(generate_contributing())
+    write_if_changed(str(docs / "contributing.md"), generate_contributing())
 
     # Update mkdocs.yml nav section only (avoid yaml.dump round-trip mangling quotes)
     print("Updating mkdocs.yml nav...")
@@ -2173,9 +2171,7 @@ markdown_extensions:
 plugins:
 - search
 """
-    with open("mkdocs.yml", "w") as f:
+    write_if_changed("mkdocs.yml", mkdocs_static + nav_yaml)
-        f.write(mkdocs_static)
-        f.write(nav_yaml)
 
     total_pages = (
         1  # home