ansible list in dict (need to understand how it works)
Hiero-nymo
Below there're part of my playbook and result:
- name: "name1"
city: "New York"
phone: "03-45-67"
- name: "name2"
city: "London"
phone: "04-45-67"
- name: "name3"
city: "Berlin"
phone: "05-45-67"
I need to retrieve information like each phone number for each name and I found this solution:
- name: debugging dict
debug:
msg:
- "type of user_list: {{ user_list | type_debug }}"
- " this {{ item['name'] }} is relation to this phone : {{ item['phone'] }}"
loop: "{{ user_list }}"
and here's the result:
TASK [ansible_dict_test : debugging dict] *************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => (item={'name': 'name1', 'city': 'New York', 'phone': '03-45-67'}) => {
"msg": [
"type of user_list: list",
" this name1 is relation to this phone : 03-45-67"
]
}
ok: [localhost] => (item={'name': 'name2', 'city': 'London', 'phone': '04-45-67'}) => {
"msg": [
"type of user_list: list",
" this name2 is relation to this phone : 04-45-67"
]
}
ok: [localhost] => (item={'name': 'name3', 'city': 'Berlin', 'phone': '05-45-67'}) => {
"msg": [
"type of user_list: list",
" this name3 is relation to this phone : 05-45-67"
]
}
I've some question about that:
1) type_debug read from user_list and it is a dict then why it give a list as result?
2) I has understood, user_list ist the key of dict and the rest is the value. In that case why item['name'] is like a key?
3) Is my playbook good or is a better solution?
Thank you in advance for your help because I am really trying to understand in detail how dictionaries work and I need your advice.
Best regards, H
Vladimir Botka
Hiero-nymo <jer.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 1) type_debug read from user_list and it is a dict then why it give a list
> as result?
to iterate it if otherwise)
user_list:
- city: New York
name: name1
phone: 03-45-67
- city: London
name: name2
phone: 04-45-67
- city: Berlin
name: name3
phone: 05-45-67
> 2) I has understood, user_list ist the key of dict and the rest is the
> value. In that case why item['name'] is like a key?
*user_list*. The value of this key is the list. Each item of this
list is a dictionary therefore, in iteration, you can use *name* as a
key in the dictionary *item*.
> 3) Is my playbook good or is a better solution?
- set_fact:
user_dict: "{{ dict(_keys|zip(user_list)) }}"
vars:
_keys: "{{ user_list|map(attribute='name')|list }}"
transforms the list to a dictionary
phone_book:
name1:
city: New York
name: name1
phone: 03-45-67
name2:
city: London
name: name2
phone: 04-45-67
name3:
city: Berlin
name: name3
phone: 05-45-67
Now you can easily search by names. If the names alone are not unique
create the keys as a combination of attributes
- set_fact:
phone_book: "{{ dict(_keys|zip(_vals)) }}"
vars:
_names: "{{ user_list|map(attribute='name')|list }}"
_addrs: "{{ user_list|map(attribute='city')|list }}"
_keys: "{{ _names|zip(_addrs)|map('join', ',')|list }}"
_vals: "{{ user_list|map(attribute='phone')|list }}"
create keys by joining the name and the city, and values by selecting
the phone only
phone_book:
name1,New York: 03-45-67
name2,London: 04-45-67
name3,Berlin: 05-45-67
You need the bracket notation to reference such keys
phone_book['name2,London']: 04-45-67
You'll have to stick with the lists if you are not able to create
unique keys.
--
Vladimir Botka