Deep compare arrays on merge and return old array if unchanged - #860

Node.js 20 is deprecated. The following actions target Node.js 20 but are being forced to run on Node.js 24: actions/setup-node@cdca7365b2dadb8aad0a33bc7601856ffabcc48e. For more information see: https://github.blog/changelog/2025-09-19-deprecation-of-node-20-on-github-actions-runners/