allow references to names of variables in with_items without needing to surround them with Jinja2 '{{' delimeters

examples/playbooks/upgraded_vars.yml

@@ -7,16 +7,25 @@
 
   - hosts: all
 
-    tasks:
-      - shell: echo 'hello {{ ansible_hostname.upper() }}'
+    vars:
+      a_list:
+        - a 
+        - b
+        - c
 
-      - shell: echo 'match'
+    tasks:
+      - shell: echo hello {{ ansible_hostname.upper() }}
+
+      - shell: echo match
         when: 2 == 2
 
-      - shell: echo 'no match'
+      - shell: echo no match
         when: 2 == 2 + 1
 
-      - shell: echo '{{ ansible_os_family }}'
+      - shell: echo {{ ansible_os_family }}
+
+      - shell: echo {{ item }}
+        with_items: a_list
 
       - shell: echo 'RedHat'
         when: ansible_os_family == 'RedHat'

lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/items.py

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 # along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 from ansible.utils import safe_eval
+import ansible.utils.template as template
 
 def flatten(terms):
     ret = []
@@ -28,12 +29,20 @@ def flatten(terms):
 
 class LookupModule(object):
 
-    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
-        pass
+    def __init__(self, basedir=None, **kwargs):
+        self.basedir = basedir
 
-    def run(self, terms, **kwargs):
+    def run(self, terms, inject=None, **kwargs):
         if isinstance(terms, basestring):
+            # somewhat did:
+            #    with_items: alist
+            # OR
+            #    with_items: {{ alist }}
+            if not '{' in terms and not '[' in terms:
+                terms = '{{ %s }}' % terms
+                terms = template.template(self.basedir, terms, inject)
             if '{' or '[' in terms:
+                # Jinja2 already evaluated a variable to a list.
                 # Jinja2-ified list needs to be converted back to a real type
                 # TODO: something a bit less heavy than eval
                 terms = safe_eval(terms)

lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/nested.py

@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+import ansible.utils.template as template
 from ansible.utils import safe_eval
+import ansible.errors as errors
 
 def flatten(terms):
     ret = []
@@ -37,16 +39,30 @@ def combine(a,b):
 
 class LookupModule(object):
 
-    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
-        pass
+    def __init__(self, basedir=None, **kwargs):
+        self.basedir = basedir
 
-    def run(self, terms, **kwargs):
+    def run(self, terms, inject=None, **kwargs):
+
+        # this code is common with 'items.py' consider moving to utils if we need it again
+
+        if isinstance(terms, basestring):
+            # someone did:
+            #    with_items: alist
+            # OR
+            #    with_items: {{ alist }}
+            if not '{' in terms and not '[' in terms:
+                terms = '{{ %s }}' % terms
+                terms = template.template(self.basedir, terms, inject)
             if '{' or '[' in terms:
+                # Jinja2 already evaluated a variable to a list.
                 # Jinja2-ified list needs to be converted back to a real type
                 # TODO: something a bit less heavy than eval
                 terms = safe_eval(terms)
+
         if not isinstance(terms, list):
             raise errors.AnsibleError("a list is required for with_nested")
+
         my_list = terms[:]
         my_list.reverse()
         result = []

lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py

@@ -254,28 +254,6 @@ def parse_json(raw_data):
             return { "failed" : True, "parsed" : False, "msg" : orig_data }
         return results
 
-def preprocess_yaml(data):
-
-    # allow the following casual user error:
-    #    bar: {{ baz }}
-    # instead of bar: '{{ baz }}'
-    # (commander-API should auto-quote these in similar ways on save/load)
-
-    new_lines = []
-    lines = data.split("\n")
-    for line in lines:
-        if line.find("{{") != -1 and line.find(":") != -1:
-            tokens = line.split(":",1)
-            if tokens[1].strip().startswith("{{"):
-                new_line = "%s: '%s'" % (tokens[0], tokens[1])
-            else:
-                new_line = line                  
-            new_lines.append(new_line)
-        else:
-            new_lines.append(line)
-    result = "\n".join(new_lines)
-    return result
-
 def parse_yaml(data):
     ''' convert a yaml string to a data structure '''
     return yaml.safe_load(data)
@@ -310,7 +288,6 @@ def parse_yaml_from_file(path):
 
     try:
         data = file(path).read()
-        data = preprocess_yaml(data)
         return parse_yaml(data)
     except IOError:
         raise errors.AnsibleError("file not found: %s" % path)
@@ -724,7 +701,12 @@ def safe_eval(str):
     # do not allow imports
     if re.search(r'import \w+', str):
         return str
+    try:
         return eval(str)
+    except Exception, e:
+        return str
+
+
 
 
 

lib/ansible/utils/template.py

@@ -436,6 +436,11 @@ def template_from_string(basedir, data, vars):
             else:
                 return data
            
+        def test_foo():
+            return 'test_foo!'
+        
+        t.globals['test_foo'] = test_foo 
+ 
         res = jinja2.utils.concat(t.root_render_func(t.new_context(_jinja2_vars(basedir, vars, t.globals), shared=True)))
         return res
     except jinja2.exceptions.UndefinedError: