fix(tables): say which type a no-op column update restated

A copilot `update_column` payload whose only content was the column's current
type used to return success with the live schema, while the v1, v2, and UI
routes rejected the same payload with "No updates specified". Delegating to
`performUpdateTableColumn` unified them onto the routes' rejection — correct,
but the message tells the caller its request was empty when it named a type.

The orchestration function now reports the same thing `updateColumnType` reports
when it loses this race concurrently: the column is already that type, re-issue
without the type change. An empty payload still reads "No updates specified".

Drops the copilot's `outcome.table ?? tableForUpdate` fallback with it — the
comment described the no-op that can no longer reach that line, and a success
always carries a table.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YGzbVDZpe2dEALbu2BUU8a

Author: TheodoreSpeaks

apps/sim/lib/copilot/tools/server/table/user-table.ts

@@ -1677,15 +1677,13 @@ export const userTableServerTool: BaseServerTool<UserTableArgs, UserTableResult>
               ...(currencyCode !== undefined ? { currencyCode } : {}),
             },
           })
-          if (!outcome.success) {
+          if (!outcome.success || !outcome.table) {
             return { success: false, message: outcome.error ?? 'Failed to update column' }
           }
           return {
             success: true,
             message: `Updated column "${colName}"`,
-            // A payload that only restates the current type is a no-op; still
-            // report the live schema rather than an undefined one.
-            data: { schema: (outcome.table ?? tableForUpdate).schema },
+            data: { schema: outcome.table.schema },
           }
         }
         case 'rename': {

apps/sim/lib/table/orchestration/columns.test.ts

@@ -164,9 +164,18 @@ describe('performUpdateTableColumn', () => {
     const result = await run({})
 
     expect(result).toMatchObject({ success: false, errorCode: 'validation' })
+    expect(result.error).toBe('No updates specified')
     expect(mockRecordAudit).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
+  it("names the type when a payload only restates the column's current type", async () => {
+    const result = await run({ type: 'select' })
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ success: false, errorCode: 'validation' })
+    expect(result.error).toContain('is already type "select"')
+    expect(mockUpdateColumnType).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
   it('classifies a table lock as locked and does not audit', async () => {
     mockUpdateColumnConstraints.mockRejectedValue(new TableLockedError('update'))
 

apps/sim/lib/table/orchestration/columns.ts

@@ -262,6 +262,15 @@ export async function performUpdateTableColumn(
   }
 
   if (!updated) {
+    // A payload whose only content is the type the column already has names a
+    // change and asks for nothing. Say which, the way `updateColumnType` does
+    // when it loses the same race, rather than claiming the request was empty.
+    if (updates.type !== undefined) {
+      return fail(
+        `Column "${currentColumn.name}" is already type "${currentColumn.type}"; re-issue the request without a type change.`,
+        'validation'
+      )
+    }
     return fail('No updates specified', 'validation')
   }