update_metadata function: differentiate failure from no update

[msea55]

The WordPress function update_metadata, (as well as update_post_meta, and update_term_meta which call it) returns false on failure or if the value passed to the function is the same as the one that is already in the database. This behavior is documented by WordPress: ​https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/update_metadata/.

However, I would like to be able to differentiate the failure case from the no update case. In my custom plugin I allow users to update post meta; I want to show them a failure message if their update failed and nothing if there was no update.

There is precedent for such a differentiation in wpdb::update which returns 0 if no rows are updated and false on failure. I can use this instead, but I would like the full functionality of update_metadata.

Is there a reason this differentiation is not made here? (either by default or with a passed in parameter). If not, this is a feature request to make that differentiation and return false on failure and 0 on no update.