Variables, task variables and set_fact

[Alexander Jensen]

Hello,

can someone help me to understand the behavior?

Playbook:

---
- name: Play Vars
  hosts: all
  gather_facts: false
  vars:
    foo: a
  tasks:
    - name: debug foo 1
      debug:
        var: foo
    - name: Include tasks
      include_tasks: tasks/tasks-vars.yml
      vars:
        foo: b
    - name: Import tasks
      import_tasks: tasks/tasks-vars.yml
      vars:
        foo: b
    - name: debug foo 2
      debug:
        var: foo

Tasks file:

---
- name: Output 1
  debug:
    var: foo

- name: set fact
  set_fact:
    foo: c

- name: Output 2
  debug:
    var: foo

Output:

$ ansible-playbook -i inventories/test/hosts.ini play-vars.yml

PLAY [Play Vars] *********************************************

TASK [debug foo 1] *******************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "foo": "a"
}

TASK [Include tasks] *****************************************
included: /.../tasks/tasks-vars.yml for localhost

TASK [Output 1] **********************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "foo": "b"
}

TASK [set fact] **********************************************
ok: [localhost]

TASK [Output 2] **********************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "foo": "b"
}

TASK [Output 1] **********************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "foo": "c"
}

TASK [set fact] **********************************************
ok: [localhost]

TASK [Output 2] **********************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "foo": "c"
}

TASK [debug foo 2] *******************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "foo": "c"
}

I don't unterstand why the vars attribute with the modules include_tasks and import_tasks works different.

Why the set_fact inside the include_tasks has no effect?

Thanks for you explanation.

Best regards

Alexander

[Matt Martz]

`vars` on `include_tasks` are considered "include params" which is 21 on the precedence chart.  `set_fact` is 19 on that list, and `vars` on `import_tasks` are considered "task vars" which are 17.

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks_variables.html#variable-precedence-where-should-i-put-a-variable

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Matt Martz
@sivel
sivel.net