How to write a file's content in variable in Ansible - ansible

Question

I have written Ansible code where I am generating keys. The Script generates a private key file.
- name: Generating Public and Private Key
local_action:
module: command
cmd: './Auth-PUB-PVT-keytool.sh -privK {{OUTPUT_FOLDER}}/keys/{{PVT_KEY_NAME}}.key'
become: yes
become_user: "{{HOST_USER}}"
# run_once: True
no_log: "false"
Now I want to write the key data into an Ansible variable. For example: I have the file test.key with below content
jsbciusgdcxjasbciuygwndichsiuzgxciukjsdgniugziuduwyfmygxynYUXGNiusgzbuxtsaiuxdniufgdbyxfaiysrbcuyiacfxuyibstycfbxuybuyxtduyntzicytnyudn
Now I want that in my Ansible variable "MY_KEY_VALUE" the content of key file will be assigned i.e.
MY_KEY_VALUE: "jsbciusgdcxjasbciuygwndichsiuzgxciukjsdgniugziuduwyfmygxynYUXGNiusgzbuxtsaiuxdniufgdbyxfaiysrbcuyiacfxuyibstycfbxuybuyxtduyntzicytnyudn"
How to do it? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Probably the best approach for files on the Control Node would be using lookup plugins. See Ansible: Set variable to file content or How to store the contents of the file to a variable in Ansible?.
Another approach can be be to use the slurp module – Slurps a file from remote nodes.
For a file
~/test$ cat test.key
VALUE
a minimal example playbook
---
- hosts: localhost
become: false
gather_facts: false
tasks:
- name: Slurp var from file
# delegate_to: localhost # if necessary
slurp:
src: test.key
register: MY_KEY
- name: Show var
debug:
msg: "{{ MY_KEY['content'] | b64decode }}"
results into an output of
TASK [Slurp var from file] ******
ok: [localhost]
TASK [Show var] ******
ok: [localhost] =>
msg: VALUE
If the data structure of your file test.key is already YAML, you could just read it in via include_vars module – Load variables from files, dynamically within a task.
For a file
~/test$ cat test.key
MY_KEY: "VALUE"
a minimal example playbook
---
- hosts: localhost
become: false
gather_facts: false
tasks:
- name: Read var file
# delegate_to: localhost # if necessary
include_vars:
file: test.key
name: stuff
- name: Show var
debug:
var: stuff
will result into an output of
TASK [Read var file] ******
ok: [localhost]
TASK [Show var] ***********
ok: [localhost] =>
stuff:
MY_KEY: VALUE