Using url module with jinja2 templates - ansible

Question

I know how to process jinja2 templates files and let them create files. I also know how to POST to webservices using the url module.
For now I use some code like this, which successfully posts hardcoded JSON to my remote service:
tasks:
- name: GSA app definition
uri:
url: "http://localhost:8764/api/apps?relatedObjects=false"
method: POST
force_basic_auth: yes
user: "{{ admin_name }}"
password: "{{ admin_pass }}"
body_format: json
body: "{\"name\":\"My new app\", \"description\":\"A really great new app\" }"
follow_redirects: all
status_code: 200
timeout: 15
register: app_gsa_cfg
But the JSON is static, how can I process a jinja2 template and POST its content ? I would prefer not having to create temporary files on disk and POST them, what I am looking for is a direct connection or perhaps an approach that puts the template processing result into a string.
For starters a jinja2 template could look like this, later I will add variables too:
{#
This file creates the basic GSA app in Fusion. See https://doc.lucidworks.com/fusion-server/4.2/reference-guides/api/apps-api.html#create-a-new-app for details
#}
{
"name": "GSA",
"description": "Contains all configuration specific to the migrated GSA legacy searches"
}
(I know that this has little advantage over a static json included into the playbook. But is is easier to edit and offers me the opportunity to have (jinja style) comments in Json, which is normally not possible)

Answer 1

In my case, what I do is the following:
I have an API, so I do the following:
- name: Change API Status
uri:
url: "{{ enpoint }}/v1/requests/{{ whatever }}"
method: PATCH
user: "{{ tokenid }}"
password: x
headers:
X-4me-Account: "myaccount"
body: '{ "status":"{{ reqstatus }}" }'
body_format: json
status_code:
- 201
- 200
force_basic_auth: true
validate_certs: false
return_content: true
Then your reqstatus var will change.
Even you can add your whole text as yaml, import into a variable and convert with filters {{ some_variable | to_json }}
Note: Have a look to the formatting without escaping quotes. That will help.
It makes no sense creating a file with jinja2 if you are not going to copy it remotely. Ansible supports jinja natively but its strength is the possibility to have plugins for better maintainability. There is no difference between template (or win_template) modules unless (as said) you copy the file somewhere. Look this example:
---
- name: Adhoc Jinja
hosts: localhost
connection: local
gather_facts: false
vars:
mytemplate:
- name: "GSA"
description: "Contains all configuration specific to the migrated GSA legacy searches"
- name: "Another Name"
description: "Contains Another Var"
tasks:
- name: Read Vars Loop
debug:
msg: "{{ item | to_json }}"
with_items: "{{ mytemplate }}"
- name: Include Vars
include_vars: adhocjinja2.yml
- name: Read Vars Loop
debug:
msg: "{{ item | to_json }}"
with_items: "{{ mytemplate }}"
And adhocjinja2.yml:
mytemplate:
- name: "GSA2"
description: "Contains all configuration specific to the migrated GSA legacy searches"
- name: "Another Name 2"
description: "Contains Another Var"
The output is:
TASK [Read Vars Loop] **************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => (item={'name': 'GSA', 'description': 'Contains all configuration specific to the migrated GSA legacy searches'}) => {
"msg": "{\"name\": \"GSA\", \"description\": \"Contains all configuration specific to the migrated GSA legacy searches\"}"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item={'name': 'Another Name', 'description': 'Contains Another Var'}) => {
"msg": "{\"name\": \"Another Name\", \"description\": \"Contains Another Var\"}"
}
TASK [Include Vars] ****************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost]
TASK [Read Vars Loop] **************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => (item={'name': 'GSA2', 'description': 'Contains all configuration specific to the migrated GSA legacy searches'}) => {
"msg": "{\"name\": \"GSA2\", \"description\": \"Contains all configuration specific to the migrated GSA legacy searches\"}"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item={'name': 'Another Name 2', 'description': 'Contains Another Var'}) => {
"msg": "{\"name\": \"Another Name 2\", \"description\": \"Contains Another Var\"}"
}
You can manage your variables as you want and create your json on the fly as Ansible has jinja and json it its heart.