consider case where datetime was parsed from the beginning (was never a string)

Author: KatKatKateryna

models/ConfigData.py

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     MetadataConfig,
     ResourceConfigTemplate,
 )
-from .top_level.utils import datetime_to_string
+from ..utils.helper_functions import datetime_to_string
 from .top_level.utils import InlineList
 from .top_level.providers import ProviderTemplate
 from .top_level.providers.records import ProviderTypes

models/top_level/utils.py

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from enum import Enum
-import re
 
 STRING_SEPARATOR = " | "
 
@@ -51,63 +50,3 @@ def bbox_from_list(raw_bbox_list: list):
         )
 
     return InlineList(list_bbox_val)
-
-
-def to_iso8601(dt: datetime) -> str:
-    """
-    Convert datetime to UTC ISO 8601 string, for both naive and aware datetimes.
-    """
-    if dt.tzinfo is None:
-        # Treat naive datetime as UTC
-        dt = dt.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
-    else:
-        # Convert to UTC
-        dt = dt.astimezone(timezone.utc)
-
-    return dt.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
-
-
-def datetime_to_string(data: datetime):
-    # normalize to UTC and format with Z
-    if data.tzinfo is None:
-        data = data.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
-    else:
-        data = data.astimezone(timezone.utc)
-    return data.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
-
-
-def datetime_from_string(value: str) -> datetime | None:
-    """
-    Parse common ISO8601 datetime strings and return a timezone-aware datetime.
-    Accepts:
-      - 2025-12-17T12:34:56Z
-      - 2025-12-17T12:34:56+02:00
-      - 2025-12-17T12:34:56+0200
-    If no timezone is present, returns a UTC-aware datetime (assumption).
-    Returns None if parsing fails.
-    """
-    if not isinstance(value, str):
-        return None
-
-    s = value.strip()
-    # quick normalization: trailing Z -> +00:00
-    if s.endswith("Z"):
-        s = s[:-1] + "+00:00"
-
-    # normalize +0200 -> +02:00
-    s = re.sub(r"([+-]\d{2})(\d{2})$", r"\1:\2", s)
-
-    # Try stdlib first (requires offset with colon to return aware dt)
-    try:
-        dt = datetime.fromisoformat(s)
-    except Exception:
-        dt = None
-
-    if dt is None:
-        return None
-
-    # If dt is naive, assume UTC
-    if dt.tzinfo is None:
-        dt = dt.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
-
-    return dt

models/utils.py

@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 from .top_level.utils import (
     InlineList,
     get_enum_value_from_string,
-    datetime_from_string,
 )
+from ..utils.helper_functions import datetime_from_string
 
 
 def update_dataclass_from_dict(

utils/data_diff.py

@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
+from datetime import datetime
 from typing import Any
 
+from .helper_functions import datetime_to_string
+
 
 def diff_yaml_dict(obj1: dict, obj2: dict) -> dict:
     """Returns all added, removed or changed elements between 2 dictionaries."""
@@ -75,6 +78,14 @@ def diff_obj(obj1: Any, obj2: Any, diff: dict, path: str = "") -> dict:
     else:
         if obj1 != obj2:
 
+            # ignore the case where incoming datetime was never a string
+            if (
+                isinstance(obj1, datetime)
+                and isinstance(obj2, str)
+                and datetime_to_string(obj1) == obj2
+            ):
+                return diff
+
             # ignore the case where dates came from 'requests' in +00:00 format
             if (
                 type(obj1) == type(obj2) == str

utils/helper_functions.py

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+import re
+
+
+def datetime_to_string(data: datetime):
+    # normalize to UTC and format with Z
+    if data.tzinfo is None:
+        data = data.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+    else:
+        data = data.astimezone(timezone.utc)
+    return data.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
+
+
+def datetime_from_string(value: str) -> datetime | None:
+    """
+    Parse common ISO8601 datetime strings and return a timezone-aware datetime.
+    Accepts:
+      - 2025-12-17T12:34:56Z
+      - 2025-12-17T12:34:56+02:00
+      - 2025-12-17T12:34:56+0200
+    If no timezone is present, returns a UTC-aware datetime (assumption).
+    Returns None if parsing fails.
+    """
+
+    if isinstance(value, datetime):
+        # If timezone-naive, assume UTC
+        if value.tzinfo is None:
+            value = value.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+        return value
+
+    if not isinstance(value, str):
+        return None
+
+    s = value.strip()
+    # trailing Z -> +00:00
+    if s.endswith("Z"):
+        s = s[:-1] + "+00:00"
+
+    # normalize +0200 -> +02:00
+    s = re.sub(r"([+-]\d{2})(\d{2})$", r"\1:\2", s)
+
+    # Try stdlib (requires offset with colon to return aware dt)
+    try:
+        dt = datetime.fromisoformat(s)
+    except Exception:
+        dt = None
+
+    if dt is None:
+        return None
+
+    # If dt is naive, assume UTC
+    if dt.tzinfo is None:
+        dt = dt.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+
+    return dt