package/tools: Force deploy flag does not work

Running cdk deploy stack-name --require-approval never --force does not work. Specifically its skips updating the stack with (no changes) outputted in the command line. I’ve also tried the following patterns:

• cdk deploy stack-name --force
• cdk deploy --force stack-name

Reproduction Steps

Repo is private so cannot link but simply running one of the above commands with cdk toolkit version 1.108.0 should suffice. I can try and reproduce in a public repo if the person seeing this cannot reproduce.

What did you expect to happen?

CDK would never skip updating stacks due to “no changes” in the template when the --force flag is passed.

What actually happened?

CDK skips updating stacks due to “no changes” in the template when the --force flag is passed.

Environment

• **CDK CLI Version: ** 1.108.0
• Framework Version: 1.108.0
• Node.js Version: v12.22.0
• OS : MacOs Big Sur
• Language (Version): TS 4.2.4

Other

 ✅  service-name (no changes)

---

This is 🐛 Bug Report

[jefftham]

cdk deploy --force should force cloudformation to redeploy without consider the change-sets.

I have tested it. A codepipeline is created by my cdk project. Then I add a step manually in the codepipeline, and redeploy cdk project to force it change back to the defined stage. However, cdk deploy --force is not working as expected. From cloudformation point of view, nothing is change. That’s mean, this --force option is helpless.

[markuspxpx]

I agree with @jefftham , we should be able to overwrite the Cloudformation rule using --force, to literally force to deploy.