Addresses comments in #38971 (#44324)

* Controlled params within no section

* Added tests to control params within no section

* Cleaning output_file before creating no-section params and check the content

* addresses comment in PR "s/hate/beverage/g"

lib/ansible/modules/files/ini_file.py

@@ -171,9 +171,22 @@ def do_ini(module, filename, section=None, option=None, value=None,
         ini_lines[-1] += '\n'
         changed = True
 
-    # append a fake section line to simplify the logic
+    # append fake section lines to simplify the logic
+    # At top:
+    # Fake random section to do not match any other in the file
+    # Using commit hash as fake section name
+    fake_section_name = "ad01e11446efb704fcdbdb21f2c43757423d91c5"
+
+    # Insert it at the beginning
+    ini_lines.insert(0, '[%s]' % fake_section_name)
+
+    # At botton:
     ini_lines.append('[')
 
+    # If no section is defined, fake section is used
+    if not section:
+        section = fake_section_name
+
     within_section = not section
     section_start = 0
     msg = 'OK'
@@ -241,6 +254,7 @@ def do_ini(module, filename, section=None, option=None, value=None,
                         break
 
     # remove the fake section line
+    del ini_lines[0]
     del ini_lines[-1:]
 
     if not within_section and option and state == 'present':

test/integration/targets/ini_file/tasks/main.yml

@@ -61,11 +61,11 @@
       - result2.changed == False
       - result2.msg == 'OK'
 
-- name: Ensure "hate=coke" is in section "[drinks]"
+- name: Ensure "beverage=coke" is in section "[drinks]"
   ini_file:
     path: "{{ output_file }}"
     section: drinks
-    option: hate
+    option: beverage
     value: coke
   register: result3
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
 
       [drinks]
       fav = lemonade
-      hate = coke
+      beverage = coke
     content3: "{{ lookup('file', output_file) }}"
 
 - name: assert 'changed' is true and content is OK
@@ -85,11 +85,11 @@
       - result3.msg == 'option added'
       - content3 == expected3
 
-- name: Remove option "hate=coke"
+- name: Remove option "beverage=coke"
   ini_file:
     path: "{{ output_file }}"
     section: drinks
-    option: hate
+    option: beverage
     state: absent
   register: result4
 
@@ -251,3 +251,98 @@
       - result10.changed == True
       - result10.msg == 'option changed'
       - content10 == expected10
+
+- name: Clean test file
+  copy:
+    content: ""
+    dest: "{{ output_file }}"
+    force: yes
+
+- name: Ensure "beverage=coke" is created within no section
+  ini_file:
+    section:
+    path: "{{ output_file }}"
+    option: beverage
+    value: coke
+  register: result11
+
+- name: set expected content and get current ini file content
+  set_fact:
+    expected11: "beverage = coke"
+    content11: "{{ lookup('file', output_file) }}"
+
+- name: assert 'changed' is true and content is OK (no section)
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - result11 is changed
+      - result11.msg == 'option added'
+      - content11 == expected11
+
+- name: Ensure "beverage=coke" is modified as "beverage=water" within no section
+  ini_file:
+    path: "{{ output_file }}"
+    option: beverage
+    value: water
+    section:
+  register: result12
+
+- name: set expected content and get current ini file content
+  set_fact:
+    expected12: "beverage = water"
+
+    content12: "{{ lookup('file', output_file) }}"
+
+- name: assert 'changed' is true and content is OK (no section)
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - result12 is changed
+      - result12.msg == 'option changed'
+      - content12 == expected12
+
+- name: remove option 'beverage' within no section
+  ini_file:
+    section:
+    path: "{{ output_file }}"
+    option: beverage
+    state: absent
+  register: result13
+
+- name: get current ini file content
+  set_fact:
+    content13: "{{ lookup('file', output_file) }}"
+
+- name: assert changed (no section)
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - result13 is changed
+      - result13.msg == 'option changed'
+      - content13 == ""
+
+- name: Check add option without section before existing section
+  block:
+    - name: Add option with section
+      ini_file:
+        path: "{{ output_file }}"
+        section: drinks
+        option: beverage
+        value: water
+    - name: Add option without section
+      ini_file:
+        path: "{{ output_file }}"
+        section:
+        option: like
+        value: tea
+
+- name: set expected content and get current ini file content
+  set_fact:
+    expected14: |-
+      like = tea
+
+      [drinks]
+      beverage = water
+    content14: "{{ lookup('file', output_file) }}"
+
+- name: Verify content of ini file is as expected
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - content14 == expected14