Variable Substitution in a YAML List

[AmiableAlbion]

Is it possible to do a variable substitution in a YAML list. For instance

- { hostname: 'myhost', groups: 'webservers', image_id: '{{image_name}}'}

The above example does not work, at least using vars or includes that define "image_name".

What I am trying to do is pass VM parameters to OpenStack, and one of those is the image ID which is a very long non-sensical string. I would like to define those with human-readable names. Curiously the Nova compute module in Ansible doesn't like the name, only the ID, where as command line nova will accept the name as well. Perhaps this is a limitation in YAML. 

Thanks

Albion

[Michael DeHaan]

What you have is in fact fine, we'd have to see your playbook in context to say what's up.

If hostname is meant to be something that Ansible recognizes, or groups, that's not something ansible knows what to do with, which may be why you percieve something to not work.

Also please share any output you may have that makes you think the variable isn't being used, as well as the version of Ansible you are using.

Playbooks most of all though.

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Michael DeHaan <mic...@ansibleworks.com>
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[Brian Coca]

FYI, { key: value } denotes a hash/dictionary, lists are  [ element1, element2 ], both should be templateable depending on context.

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Brian Coca
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[Albion Baucom]

I am using version 1.3.3

Here is the main playbook with a simple experiment to set the variable "centos-6.4" to the image id. I would prefer to do it with a role variable file or include, but this eliminates any other issues and just highlights the variable substitution:

--

- hosts:        AdminVM

  connection:   local

  gather_facts: false

  vars:

    centos-6.4: 52225cb3-441b-47b6-9cca-deb14d24d72f

  roles:

    - provision

  vars:

    hostlist:

      - { hostname: 'test-vm', groups: 'test-vm', image_id: '{{centos-6.4}}', security_group: 'default', flavor: 'n1.tiny' }

This throws python errors:

> ansible-playbook -i hosts vm.yml

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "/usr/bin/ansible-playbook", line 268, in <module>

    sys.exit(main(sys.argv[1:]))

  File "/usr/bin/ansible-playbook", line 208, in main

    pb.run()

  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/ansible/playbook/__init__.py", line 228, in run

    play = Play(self, play_ds, play_basedir)

  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/ansible/playbook/play.py", line 90, in __init__

    ds = template(basedir, ds, self.vars)

  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/ansible/utils/template.py", line 332, in template

    d[k] = template(basedir, v, vars, lookup_fatal, depth, expand_lists, fail_on_undefined=fail_on_undefined)

  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/ansible/utils/template.py", line 332, in template

    d[k] = template(basedir, v, vars, lookup_fatal, depth, expand_lists, fail_on_undefined=fail_on_undefined)

  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/ansible/utils/template.py", line 328, in template

    return [template(basedir, v, vars, lookup_fatal, depth, expand_lists, fail_on_undefined=fail_on_undefined) for v in varname]

  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/ansible/utils/template.py", line 332, in template

    d[k] = template(basedir, v, vars, lookup_fatal, depth, expand_lists, fail_on_undefined=fail_on_undefined)

  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/ansible/utils/template.py", line 310, in template

    varname = template_from_string(basedir, varname, vars, fail_on_undefined)

  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/ansible/utils/template.py", line 512, in template_from_string

    res = jinja2.utils.concat(t.root_render_func(t.new_context(_jinja2_vars(basedir, vars, t.globals, fail_on_undefined), shared=True)))

  File "<template>", line 8, in root

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Albion Baucom
gRED IT Support

Pharma Informatics

[Michael DeHaan]

If you can reproduce this on 1.4.X please file a ticket.

We generally consider any traceback a bug.

Thanks!

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[Matt Martz]

I cannot replicate the issue on 1.4, even exactly as you have it, but I would recommend a few changes regardless:

1) In general, variables cannot contain things like hyphens or periods, so trying to use centos-6.4 will be problematic

2) Consolidate you 'vars' sections, currently with 2 vars sections you are overwriting the first 'vars' section with the second one

3) Use standard YAML formatting instead of a hash like value (I think this will be more readable)

Here is what I would recommend:

---

- hosts: AdminVM

  connection: local

  gather_facts: no

  vars:

    centos_64: 52225cb3-441b-47b6-9cca-deb14d24d72f

    hostlist:

      - hostname: test-vm

        groups: test-vm

        image_id: "{{ centos_64 }}"

        security_group: default

        flavor: n1.tiny

  roles:

    - role: provision

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Matt Martz
ma...@sivel.net

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[Albion Baucom]

Hi Matt, Michael,

Thanks, Matts suggested refactoring works 1.4.4.

It is much cleaner now and does exactly what I wanted it to.

Thanks again for the help.

Albion