docs: def _check_for_changes(entity_type, ret, existing, modified):
      '''
      take an existing entity and a modified entity and check for changes.
      '''
  
      ret['result'] = True
  
      #were there any changes? generation always changes, remove it.
  
      if isinstance(existing, dict) and isinstance(modified, dict):
          if 'generation' in modified['content'].keys():
              del modified['content']['generation']
  
          if 'generation' in existing['content'].keys():
              del existing['content']['generation']
  
          if modified['content'] == existing['content']:
              ret['comment'] = '{entity_type} is currently enforced to the desired state.  No changes made.'.format(entity_type=entity_type)
          else:
              ret['comment'] = '{entity_type} was enforced to the desired state.  Note: Only parameters specified ' \
                               'were enforced. See changes for details.'.format(entity_type=entity_type)
              ret['changes']['old'] = existing['content']
              ret['changes']['new'] = modified['content']
  
      else:
          if modified == existing:
              ret['comment'] = '{entity_type} is currently enforced to the desired state.  No changes made.'.format(entity_type=entity_type)
          else:
              ret['comment'] = '{entity_type} was enforced to the desired state.  Note: Only parameters specified ' \
                               'were enforced. See changes for details.'.format(entity_type=entity_type)
              ret['changes']['old'] = existing
              ret['changes']['new'] = modified
  
      return ret