TODO.md

@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ trial run of the finished image: https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/149
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-02: Record Change and Inconsistency notifications list only the record
+  types that differ, each with its values as plain text (closes #219).
 - 2026-10-02: the startup notification no longer says every notification
   endpoint works; it says it is a test sent to each of them (closes #230).
 - 2026-10-02: a Mattermost webhook that answers an HTTP error is logged as

internal/watcher/message_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package watcher_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"sneak.berlin/go/dnswatcher/internal/watcher"
+)
+
+// When one nameserver's A record changes and its TXT record does not,
+// the record change and the inconsistency it starts name the A record
+// alone, with its values written as plain text.
+func TestChangeMessagesNameTheChangedType(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// A nameserver's records: this A address and the same TXT record.
+	records := func(address string) map[string][]string {
+		return map[string][]string{
+			"A":   {address},
+			"TXT": {"v=spf1 -all"},
+		}
+	}
+
+	before := hostnameState(map[string]map[string][]string{
+		nsA: records(ip1),
+		nsB: records(ip1),
+	})
+	after := hostnameState(map[string]map[string][]string{
+		nsA: records(ip1),
+		nsB: records(ip2),
+	})
+
+	// The hostname change detection uses only the notifier.
+	notifier := &mockNotifier{}
+	w := watcher.NewForTest(nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, notifier)
+
+	w.DetectHostnameChanges(t.Context(), host, before, after)
+
+	want := map[string]string{
+		"Record Change: " + host: `Hostname: www.example.net
+Nameserver: b.ns.example.net.
+Type: A
+Old: 192.0.2.1
+New: 192.0.2.2`,
+		"Inconsistency: " + host: `Hostname: www.example.net
+Type: A
+a.ns.example.net.: 192.0.2.1
+b.ns.example.net.: 192.0.2.2`,
+	}
+
+	notifications := notifier.getNotifications()
+	if len(notifications) != len(want) {
+		t.Fatalf(
+			"sent %d notifications, want %d: %v",
+			len(notifications), len(want), notifications,
+		)
+	}
+
+	for _, n := range notifications {
+		if n.Message != want[n.Title] {
+			t.Errorf(
+				"%s message:\n%s\nwant:\n%s",
+				n.Title, n.Message, want[n.Title],
+			)
+		}
+	}
+}

internal/watcher/watcher.go

@@ -570,10 +570,12 @@ func (w *Watcher) detectRecordChanges(
 		}
 
 		msg := fmt.Sprintf(
-			"Hostname: %s\nNameserver: %s\n"+
+			"Hostname: %s\nNameserver: %s\n%s",
-				"Old: %v\nNew: %v",
 			hostname, ns,
-			prevNS.Records, cur.Records,
+			recordDifferences(
+				"Old", prevNS.Records,
+				"New", cur.Records,
+			),
 		)
 
 		w.notify.SendNotification(
@@ -661,10 +663,12 @@ func (w *Watcher) detectInconsistencies(
 		ns1, ns2 := pair[0], pair[1]
 
 		msg := fmt.Sprintf(
-			"Hostname: %s\n%s: %v\n%s: %v",
+			"Hostname: %s\n%s",
 			hostname,
+			recordDifferences(
 				ns1, current.RecordsByNameserver[ns1].Records,
 				ns2, current.RecordsByNameserver[ns2].Records,
+			),
 		)
 
 		w.notify.SendNotification(
@@ -1214,6 +1218,54 @@ func recordsEqual(
 	return true
 }
 
+// recordDifferences describes, in sorted order of type, each record
+// type whose values differ between a and b: a line naming the type,
+// then a line with a's values after labelA and one with b's after
+// labelB. Types with the same values in both are left out.
+func recordDifferences(
+	labelA string, a map[string][]string,
+	labelB string, b map[string][]string,
+) string {
+	types := make([]string, 0, len(a)+len(b))
+
+	for recordType := range a {
+		types = append(types, recordType)
+	}
+
+	for recordType := range b {
+		if _, ok := a[recordType]; !ok {
+			types = append(types, recordType)
+		}
+	}
+
+	sort.Strings(types)
+
+	var lines []string
+
+	for _, recordType := range types {
+		if sliceEqual(a[recordType], b[recordType]) {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		lines = append(lines,
+			"Type: "+recordType,
+			labelA+": "+joinValues(a[recordType]),
+			labelB+": "+joinValues(b[recordType]),
+		)
+	}
+
+	return strings.Join(lines, "\n")
+}
+
+// joinValues lists record values separated by commas, or says none.
+func joinValues(values []string) string {
+	if len(values) == 0 {
+		return "none"
+	}
+
+	return strings.Join(values, ", ")
+}
+
 func sliceEqual(a, b []string) bool {
 	if len(a) != len(b) {
 		return false