How to loop dict with nested lists?

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Ansible allows deeply nested dicts, but then doesn't actually allow you to get much use out of them! Here is my story.

I'm trying to configure a number of ini files with Ansible. To this end, I am using the ini_file module. This module requires at a minimum, four pieces of information:

File path

Section

Option

Value of that option

So, I've defined a dict:

 vars:
 conf:
 "/etc/conf1.ini":
 - section: main
 option: foo
 val: bar
 - section: main
 option: baz
 val: qux
 "/etc/otherconf.ini":
 - section: options
 option: flower
 val: bird

And so on. So, I can use:

 - name: Write ini files
 ini_file:
 path: " item.0.key "
 section: " item.1.section "
 option: " item.1.option "
 value: " item.1.val "
 loop: " conf "

This... works. I can continue to use this. Example output of /etc/conf1.ini:

[main]
foo = bar
baz = qux

Question: Is there a better way? How can I organize my data to work better with (the new style of) Ansible loops? (i.e. nothing that starts with with_)

Note: I also really don't like having to use a fully qualified path as a dict key; I'd rather it be e.g. path: "/etc/conf1.ini" somehow.

Note 2: I don't have to have this all in one single variable, conf, but if I have one variable per ini file, how do I loop that?

asked Nov 13 '18 at 22:04

courtlandj

340617

1

I'm no ansible expert, but two things jump out at me. Is subelements('value') what you are really using or is that a typo for subelements('val')? Secondly, you can clearly use path as another entry in your dictionary and make the key be some label just for humans. (Then you could check for a path subelement...)

– Cupcake Protocol
Nov 14 '18 at 0:46

If the syntax and looping become too complex, I would suggest just using the template module instead.

– M_dk
Nov 14 '18 at 11:11

Also remember that while you can do something thats complex, it might be a better idea to keep it simpler even though it means adding more tasks. At least, thats how I read the best practice guidelines: ansible.com/blog/ansible-best-practices-essentials

– M_dk
Nov 14 '18 at 11:26

1

@CupcakeProtocol - Yes, it's super intentional. Subelements is looking at the list of tuples that dict2items provides. Each tuple is key, value. That's why I can't name any keys in my variable as "value". Learned this trick from: stackoverflow.com/a/50711744/3201683

– courtlandj
Nov 14 '18 at 15:47

@M_dk I don't see how templating is going to help me edit values in existing ini files. And, I don't really think what I am doing is all that "complex", either. I'm just sequentially setting values in some ini files, but I can't use a nice hierarchical data structure to do all the work for me -- I have to duplicate the "section" value unnecessarily all over the place. To me, that is more complex, not less. I cannot imagine writing it this way in any other language.

– courtlandj
Nov 14 '18 at 15:48

|
show 3 more comments

Ansible allows deeply nested dicts, but then doesn't actually allow you to get much use out of them! Here is my story.

I'm trying to configure a number of ini files with Ansible. To this end, I am using the ini_file module. This module requires at a minimum, four pieces of information:

File path

Section

Option

Value of that option

So, I've defined a dict:

 vars:
 conf:
 "/etc/conf1.ini":
 - section: main
 option: foo
 val: bar
 - section: main
 option: baz
 val: qux
 "/etc/otherconf.ini":
 - section: options
 option: flower
 val: bird

And so on. So, I can use:

 - name: Write ini files
 ini_file:
 path: " item.0.key "
 section: " item.1.section "
 option: " item.1.option "
 value: " item.1.val "
 loop: " conf "

This... works. I can continue to use this. Example output of /etc/conf1.ini:

[main]
foo = bar
baz = qux

Question: Is there a better way? How can I organize my data to work better with (the new style of) Ansible loops? (i.e. nothing that starts with with_)

Note: I also really don't like having to use a fully qualified path as a dict key; I'd rather it be e.g. path: "/etc/conf1.ini" somehow.

Note 2: I don't have to have this all in one single variable, conf, but if I have one variable per ini file, how do I loop that?

asked Nov 13 '18 at 22:04

courtlandj

340617

1

I'm no ansible expert, but two things jump out at me. Is subelements('value') what you are really using or is that a typo for subelements('val')? Secondly, you can clearly use path as another entry in your dictionary and make the key be some label just for humans. (Then you could check for a path subelement...)

– Cupcake Protocol
Nov 14 '18 at 0:46

If the syntax and looping become too complex, I would suggest just using the template module instead.

– M_dk
Nov 14 '18 at 11:11

Also remember that while you can do something thats complex, it might be a better idea to keep it simpler even though it means adding more tasks. At least, thats how I read the best practice guidelines: ansible.com/blog/ansible-best-practices-essentials

– M_dk
Nov 14 '18 at 11:26

1

@CupcakeProtocol - Yes, it's super intentional. Subelements is looking at the list of tuples that dict2items provides. Each tuple is key, value. That's why I can't name any keys in my variable as "value". Learned this trick from: stackoverflow.com/a/50711744/3201683

– courtlandj
Nov 14 '18 at 15:47

@M_dk I don't see how templating is going to help me edit values in existing ini files. And, I don't really think what I am doing is all that "complex", either. I'm just sequentially setting values in some ini files, but I can't use a nice hierarchical data structure to do all the work for me -- I have to duplicate the "section" value unnecessarily all over the place. To me, that is more complex, not less. I cannot imagine writing it this way in any other language.

– courtlandj
Nov 14 '18 at 15:48

|
show 3 more comments

Ansible allows deeply nested dicts, but then doesn't actually allow you to get much use out of them! Here is my story.

I'm trying to configure a number of ini files with Ansible. To this end, I am using the ini_file module. This module requires at a minimum, four pieces of information:

File path

Section

Option

Value of that option

So, I've defined a dict:

 vars:
 conf:
 "/etc/conf1.ini":
 - section: main
 option: foo
 val: bar
 - section: main
 option: baz
 val: qux
 "/etc/otherconf.ini":
 - section: options
 option: flower
 val: bird

And so on. So, I can use:

 - name: Write ini files
 ini_file:
 path: " item.0.key "
 section: " item.1.section "
 option: " item.1.option "
 value: " item.1.val "
 loop: " conf "

This... works. I can continue to use this. Example output of /etc/conf1.ini:

[main]
foo = bar
baz = qux

Question: Is there a better way? How can I organize my data to work better with (the new style of) Ansible loops? (i.e. nothing that starts with with_)

Note: I also really don't like having to use a fully qualified path as a dict key; I'd rather it be e.g. path: "/etc/conf1.ini" somehow.

Note 2: I don't have to have this all in one single variable, conf, but if I have one variable per ini file, how do I loop that?

asked Nov 13 '18 at 22:04

courtlandj

340617

Ansible allows deeply nested dicts, but then doesn't actually allow you to get much use out of them! Here is my story.

I'm trying to configure a number of ini files with Ansible. To this end, I am using the ini_file module. This module requires at a minimum, four pieces of information:

File path

Section

Option

Value of that option

So, I've defined a dict:

 vars:
 conf:
 "/etc/conf1.ini":
 - section: main
 option: foo
 val: bar
 - section: main
 option: baz
 val: qux
 "/etc/otherconf.ini":
 - section: options
 option: flower
 val: bird

And so on. So, I can use:

 - name: Write ini files
 ini_file:
 path: " item.0.key "
 section: " item.1.section "
 option: " item.1.option "
 value: " item.1.val "
 loop: " conf "

This... works. I can continue to use this. Example output of /etc/conf1.ini:

[main]
foo = bar
baz = qux

Question: Is there a better way? How can I organize my data to work better with (the new style of) Ansible loops? (i.e. nothing that starts with with_)

Note: I also really don't like having to use a fully qualified path as a dict key; I'd rather it be e.g. path: "/etc/conf1.ini" somehow.

Note 2: I don't have to have this all in one single variable, conf, but if I have one variable per ini file, how do I loop that?

ansible yaml ini

asked Nov 13 '18 at 22:04

courtlandj

340617

asked Nov 13 '18 at 22:04

courtlandj

340617

asked Nov 13 '18 at 22:04

courtlandj

340617

asked Nov 13 '18 at 22:04

courtlandj

340617

asked Nov 13 '18 at 22:04

courtlandj

340617

1

I'm no ansible expert, but two things jump out at me. Is subelements('value') what you are really using or is that a typo for subelements('val')? Secondly, you can clearly use path as another entry in your dictionary and make the key be some label just for humans. (Then you could check for a path subelement...)

– Cupcake Protocol
Nov 14 '18 at 0:46

If the syntax and looping become too complex, I would suggest just using the template module instead.

– M_dk
Nov 14 '18 at 11:11

Also remember that while you can do something thats complex, it might be a better idea to keep it simpler even though it means adding more tasks. At least, thats how I read the best practice guidelines: ansible.com/blog/ansible-best-practices-essentials

– M_dk
Nov 14 '18 at 11:26

1

@CupcakeProtocol - Yes, it's super intentional. Subelements is looking at the list of tuples that dict2items provides. Each tuple is key, value. That's why I can't name any keys in my variable as "value". Learned this trick from: stackoverflow.com/a/50711744/3201683

– courtlandj
Nov 14 '18 at 15:47

@M_dk I don't see how templating is going to help me edit values in existing ini files. And, I don't really think what I am doing is all that "complex", either. I'm just sequentially setting values in some ini files, but I can't use a nice hierarchical data structure to do all the work for me -- I have to duplicate the "section" value unnecessarily all over the place. To me, that is more complex, not less. I cannot imagine writing it this way in any other language.

– courtlandj
Nov 14 '18 at 15:48

|
show 3 more comments

1

I'm no ansible expert, but two things jump out at me. Is subelements('value') what you are really using or is that a typo for subelements('val')? Secondly, you can clearly use path as another entry in your dictionary and make the key be some label just for humans. (Then you could check for a path subelement...)

– Cupcake Protocol
Nov 14 '18 at 0:46

If the syntax and looping become too complex, I would suggest just using the template module instead.

– M_dk
Nov 14 '18 at 11:11

Also remember that while you can do something thats complex, it might be a better idea to keep it simpler even though it means adding more tasks. At least, thats how I read the best practice guidelines: ansible.com/blog/ansible-best-practices-essentials

– M_dk
Nov 14 '18 at 11:26

1

@CupcakeProtocol - Yes, it's super intentional. Subelements is looking at the list of tuples that dict2items provides. Each tuple is key, value. That's why I can't name any keys in my variable as "value". Learned this trick from: stackoverflow.com/a/50711744/3201683

– courtlandj
Nov 14 '18 at 15:47

@M_dk I don't see how templating is going to help me edit values in existing ini files. And, I don't really think what I am doing is all that "complex", either. I'm just sequentially setting values in some ini files, but I can't use a nice hierarchical data structure to do all the work for me -- I have to duplicate the "section" value unnecessarily all over the place. To me, that is more complex, not less. I cannot imagine writing it this way in any other language.

– courtlandj
Nov 14 '18 at 15:48

I'm no ansible expert, but two things jump out at me. Is subelements('value') what you are really using or is that a typo for subelements('val')? Secondly, you can clearly use path as another entry in your dictionary and make the key be some label just for humans. (Then you could check for a path subelement...)

– Cupcake Protocol
Nov 14 '18 at 0:46

If the syntax and looping become too complex, I would suggest just using the template module instead.

– M_dk
Nov 14 '18 at 11:11

Also remember that while you can do something thats complex, it might be a better idea to keep it simpler even though it means adding more tasks. At least, thats how I read the best practice guidelines: ansible.com/blog/ansible-best-practices-essentials

– M_dk
Nov 14 '18 at 11:26

@CupcakeProtocol - Yes, it's super intentional. Subelements is looking at the list of tuples that dict2items provides. Each tuple is key, value. That's why I can't name any keys in my variable as "value". Learned this trick from: stackoverflow.com/a/50711744/3201683

– courtlandj
Nov 14 '18 at 15:47

@M_dk I don't see how templating is going to help me edit values in existing ini files. And, I don't really think what I am doing is all that "complex", either. I'm just sequentially setting values in some ini files, but I can't use a nice hierarchical data structure to do all the work for me -- I have to duplicate the "section" value unnecessarily all over the place. To me, that is more complex, not less. I cannot imagine writing it this way in any other language.

– courtlandj
Nov 14 '18 at 15:48

|
show 3 more comments

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