ansible.utils.get_path_lookup.rst

ansible.utils.get_path

Retrieve the value in a variable using a path

Version added: 1.0.0

• Synopsis
• Parameters
• Examples
• Return Values
• Status

Synopsis

• Use a path to retrieve a nested value from a var
• get_path is also available as a filter plugin for convenience
• Using the parameters below- lookup('ansible.utils.get_path', var, path, wantlist)

Parameters

Parameter	Choices/Defaults	Configuration	Comments
path string / required			The path in the var to retrieve the value of. The path needs to a be a valid jinja path.
var raw / required			The variable from which the value should be extracted.
wantlist boolean	Choices: no yes		If set to True, the return value will always be a list. This can also be accomplished using query or q instead of lookup. https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/plugins/lookup.html.

Examples

- ansible.builtin.set_fact:
    a:
      b:
        c:
          d:
            - 0
            - 1
          e:
            - true
            - false

- name: Retrieve a value deep inside a using a path
  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
    value: "{{ lookup('ansible.utils.get_path', a, path) }}"
  vars:
    path: b.c.d[0]

# TASK [Retrieve a value deep inside a using a path] ******************
# ok: [localhost] => changed=false
#   ansible_facts:
#     value: '0'


#### Working with hostvars

- name: Retrieve a value deep inside all of the host's vars
  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
    value: "{{ lookup('ansible.utils.get_path', look_in, look_for) }}"
  vars:
    look_in: "{{ hostvars[inventory_hostname] }}"
    look_for: a.b.c.d[0]

# TASK [Retrieve a value deep inside all of the host's vars] ********
# ok: [nxos101] => changed=false
#   ansible_facts:
#     as_filter: '0'
#     as_lookup: '0'


#### Used alongside ansible.utils.to_paths

- name: Get the paths for the object
  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
    paths: "{{ lookup('ansible.utils.to_paths', a, prepend='a') }}"

- name: Retrieve the value of each path from vars
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    msg: "The value of path {{ path }} in vars is {{ value }}"
  loop: "{{ paths.keys()|list }}"
  loop_control:
    label: "{{ item }}"
  vars:
    path: "{{ item }}"
    value: "{{ lookup('ansible.utils.get_path', hostvars[inventory_hostname], item) }}"

# TASK [Get the paths for the object] *******************************
# ok: [nxos101] => changed=false
#   ansible_facts:
#     paths:
#       a.b.c.d[0]: 0
#       a.b.c.d[1]: 1
#       a.b.c.e[0]: True
#       a.b.c.e[1]: False

# TASK [Retrieve the value of each path from vars] ******************
# ok: [nxos101] => (item=a.b.c.d[0]) =>
#   msg: The value of path a.b.c.d[0] in vars is 0
# ok: [nxos101] => (item=a.b.c.d[1]) =>
#   msg: The value of path a.b.c.d[1] in vars is 1
# ok: [nxos101] => (item=a.b.c.e[0]) =>
#   msg: The value of path a.b.c.e[0] in vars is True
# ok: [nxos101] => (item=a.b.c.e[1]) =>
#   msg: The value of path a.b.c.e[1] in vars is False


#### Working with complex structures and transforming results

- name: Retrieve the current interface config
  cisco.nxos.nxos_interfaces:
    state: gathered
  register: interfaces

- name: Get the description of several interfaces
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    msg: "{{ lookup('ansible.utils.get_path', rekeyed, item) }}"
  vars:
    rekeyed:
      by_name: "{{ interfaces.gathered|ansible.builtin.rekey_on_member('name') }}"
  loop:
    - by_name['Ethernet1/1'].description
    - by_name['Ethernet1/2'].description|upper
    - by_name['Ethernet1/3'].description|default('')


# TASK [Get the description of several interfaces] ******************
# ok: [nxos101] => (item=by_name['Ethernet1/1'].description) => changed=false
#   msg: Configured by ansible
# ok: [nxos101] => (item=by_name['Ethernet1/2'].description|upper) => changed=false
#   msg: CONFIGURED BY ANSIBLE
# ok: [nxos101] => (item=by_name['Ethernet1/3'].description|default('')) => changed=false
#   msg: ''

Return Values

Common return values are documented here, the following are the fields unique to this lookup:

Key	Returned	Description
_raw -		One or more zero-based indices of the matching list items. See wantlist if a list is always required.

Status

Authors

• Bradley Thornton (@cidrblock)

Hint

Configuration entries for each entry type have a low to high priority order. For example, a variable that is lower in the list will override a variable that is higher up.