`--dry-run` executes against the database instead of previewing

[damusix]

Summary

noorm --dry-run run build applies every file to the target database. The CLI documents --dry-run as previewing without executing.

Repro

1. Create an empty database.
2. Point a config at it (env-only mode is fine):

   export NOORM_CONNECTION_DIALECT=mssql
   export NOORM_CONNECTION_HOST=localhost
   export NOORM_CONNECTION_PORT=1433
   export NOORM_CONNECTION_DATABASE=scratch
   export NOORM_CONNECTION_USER=SA
   export NOORM_CONNECTION_PASSWORD='<pw>'
   

3. noorm --dry-run run build
4. Query the database: SELECT COUNT(*) FROM sys.objects WHERE is_ms_shipped = 0;

Expected

Nothing applied. A list of what would run.

Actual

The build ran for real. In our case 307 objects were created in a database that was empty beforehand — a full schema build, from a flag whose documented purpose is to avoid exactly that.

The documented contract, from the CLI reference:

--dry-run    Preview what would happen without executing.

This is the worst-case shape for a flag bug: the person reaching for --dry-run is by definition the one who is not ready to write.

Environment

• noorm CLI 0.0.0, core 1.0.0-alpha.39
• OS: macOS (darwin 25.5.0)
• Runtime: Node v24.13.0
• Dialect: mssql, mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server:2022-latest

Context

Found while migrating a production MSSQL schema (~155 files, 9 phase directories) from a hand-rolled zsh deploy script to noorm. Four related CLI issues were found in the same effort and are filed separately.