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regexlinuxansibleyaml

Ansible replace/delete specific entrys

I'm new to Ansible and I need to work with some yaml files. For example. the yaml file I need to edit has the following structure:

 Test-ABC:
    artifact: Test-ABC
    repository:
      Test-1:
        name: Test123
        release: 2024
        version: 1.1.0
        type: a
      Test-2:
        name: Test456
        release: 2023
        version: 2.0.1
        type: bs

So what I want to do is first remove all the entries under "repository:". So like this:

 Test-ABC:
    artifact: Test-ABC
    repository:

And then add some new values with input parameters that I defined earlier, e.g.

 Test-ABC:
    artifact: Test-ABC
    repository:
      New-Test:
        name: newTest123
        release: new2024
        version: new1.1.0
        type: new a

I should also mention that the yaml file has more entries than I've shown you, and they should not be affected by the changes.

I tried regexp and replace, but that just removed the Test-ABC line and so on.

 - name: "remove entries"
   replace:
     path: "file.yaml"
     regexp: "^\\s*{{ item.key }}:.*$"  
     replace: ""  
   loop: "{{ file['repository'] | dict2items }}"
Solution

  • A minimal example playbook

    ---
- hosts: localhost
  become: false
  gather_facts: false

  tasks:

  - include_vars:
      file: some.yml
      name: imported

  - debug:
      msg: "{{ imported['Test-ABC'] }}"

  - name: Update the fact
    ansible.utils.update_fact:
      updates:
        - path: "imported['Test-ABC'].repository"
          value:
            New-Test:
              name: newTest123
              release: new2024
              version: new1.1.0
              type: new a
    register: updated

  - copy:
      content: "{{ updated.imported | to_nice_yaml('indent=2') }}"
      dest: other.yml

    will result into an file content of

    Test-ABC:
  artifact: Test-ABC
  more: entry
  not_shown: here
  repository:
    New-Test:
      name: newTest123
      release: new2024
      type: new a
      version: new1.1.0
  should: not be affected

    Documentation