Every visual answers whether it draws like another; only content can match content

src/textual/content.py

@@ -523,12 +523,15 @@ def add_spans(self, spans: Sequence[Span]) -> Content:
             )
         return self
 
-    def draws_like(self, other: Content) -> bool:
+    def draws_like(self, other: Visual) -> bool:
         """Whether both draw the same: the same text with the same styled spans.
 
         Equality compares text only, for sorting; a changed style or link is a change on screen.
         """
-        return self.plain == other.plain and list(self._spans) == list(other._spans)
+        return other.draws_text(self.plain, self._spans)
+
+    def draws_text(self, plain: str, spans: Sequence[object]) -> bool:
+        return self.plain == plain and list(self._spans) == list(spans)
 
     def __eq__(self, other: object) -> bool:
         """Compares text only, so that markup doesn't effect sorting."""

src/textual/visual.py

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+from collections.abc import Sequence
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from itertools import islice
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Callable, Protocol
@@ -138,6 +139,14 @@ def selected_text(visual, selection):
             return selection.extract(str(visual)), "\n"
         return None
 
+    def draws_like(self, other: Visual) -> bool:
+        """Whether both draw the same. A visual that cannot tell answers no, so it redraws."""
+        return False
+
+    def draws_text(self, plain: str, spans: Sequence[object]) -> bool:
+        """Whether this draws exactly this text with these styled spans; only content can."""
+        return False
+
     @abstractmethod
     def render_strips(
         self, width: int, height: int | None, style: Style, options: RenderOptions