How to use vars to work with to_datetime

[Andy Magana]

Hello everyone,

My registered vars are not working with my math equation using to_datetime filter it will work with the string "2019-04-01" but not with my var.

PLAY [localhost] *********************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] ***************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost]

TASK [get the file] ******************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [debug] *************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "today": {
        "changed": true,
        "cmd": "du -h --time /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg | grep -Eo '[[:digit:]]{4}-[[:digit:]]{2}-[[:digit:]]{2}'",
        "delta": "0:00:00.011270",
        "end": "2019-05-01 09:27:11.662919",
        "failed": false,
        "rc": 0,
        "start": "2019-05-01 09:27:11.651649",
        "stderr": "",
        "stderr_lines": [],
        "stdout": "2019-04-30",
        "stdout_lines": [
            "2019-04-30"
        ]
    }
}

TASK [get current date] **************************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [localhost]

TASK [debug] *************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "current": {
        "changed": true,
        "cmd": "date +%F",
        "delta": "0:00:00.010083",
        "end": "2019-05-01 09:27:12.031688",
        "failed": false,
        "rc": 0,
        "start": "2019-05-01 09:27:12.021605",
        "stderr": "",
        "stderr_lines": [],
        "stdout": "2019-05-01",
        "stdout_lines": [
            "2019-05-01"
        ]
    }
}

TASK [debug] *************************************************************************************************************************************************
fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! => {"msg": "the field 'args' has an invalid value ({u'msg': u\"{{ ( 'current' | to_datetime('%Y-%m-%d') - 'today' | to_datetime('%Y-%m-%d') ).days }}\"}), and could not be converted to an dict.The error was: time data 'current' does not match format '%Y-%m-%d'\n\nThe error appears to have been in '/etc/ansible/wipstat.yml': line 20, column 5, but may\nbe elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.\n\nThe offending line appears to be:\n\n\n  - debug:\n    ^ here\n"}

PLAY RECAP ***************************************************************************************************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=5    changed=2    unreachable=0    failed=1  

[d...@linder.org]

It's hard without the actual playbook, but I think you need to use 'current.stdout' inserted of just 'current' in that last task.

[Andy Magana]

So I have resolved my issue thanks to others advice what worked is to

1. stat the file get its mtime and

2. register and

3. assign it to a variable and the same for the current date and

4. put both variables  and include to convert them to an INT into a jinja subtraction arithmetic and divide all inside the jinja {{ }}

5. register the sum total and include the INT

6. add another debug and msg to output SUM as a whole number instead of a float.

[root@ansible ansible]# ansible-playbook mystat.yml

PLAY [localhost] *****************************************************************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] ***********************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost]

TASK [stat] **********************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost]

TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "file_age.stat.mtime": "1556662665.1"
}

TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "ansible_date_time.epoch": "1556746971"
}

TASK [age of file in days] *******************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "0.975763888889"
}

TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": {
        "changed": false,
        "failed": false,
        "msg": "0.975763888889"
    }
}

TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": " Your file is 0 days old"
}

PLAY RECAP ***********************************************************************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=7    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0  

[root@ansible ansible]#

AND my playbook looks like this above is the results.

---
- hosts: localhost
  user: ansible
  become: true
  tasks:
  - stat:
      path: /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
    register: file_age

  - debug:
      var: file_age.stat.mtime

  - debug:
      var: ansible_date_time.epoch

  - name: age of file in days
    debug:
      msg: "{{ (ansible_date_time.epoch|int - file_age.stat.mtime|int)/(86400|round|int) }}"
    register: msg

  - debug:
      var: msg

  - debug:
      msg: " Your file is {{ msg|int }} days old"
~                                                                            

[Dan Linder]

You're using the "debug:" module to set the "msg" variable so the date value isn't in the "{{ msg }}" variable, rather it's in the "{{ msg.msg }}" variable.

Try these lines in stead:

  - name: FIXED - age of file in days stored in msg
    set_fact:

      msg: "{{ (ansible_date_time.epoch|int - file_age.stat.mtime|int)/(86400|round|int) }}"

  - name: FIXED - Show msg
    debug:
      var: msg

  - name: FIXED - Show msg as integer

    debug:
      msg: " Your file is {{ msg|int }} days old"

That then stores the computation done in the "set_fact:" module in the "msg" variable as expected.