Ansible parse stdout_lines to verify values of a particular item - ansible

Question

I am using ansible to write some tests. I have to parse through the output of a command (stdout_lines) and verify the information corresponding to a particular name. The stdout_lines looks like the following.
The output is obtained from a cli command executed in bash.
"stdout_lines": [
"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------",
"| Name | Count | Score | State|",
"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------",
"| Jake | 5| 10 | CA |",
"| Mike | 3| 15 | AR |",
"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------",
"|Total Scores: 2 |",
"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"
]
I would like to parse over the stdout_lines and find out the information related to, say for example 'Jake', and then verify if the the corresponding values are correct.
If in Python, I would Split the string into a list, find list-element that has Jake at [0] index and verify the other elements in it. I tried looking up but couldnot stumble upon anything that could help me. Can anyone throw some light on how to do this. Appreciate your help.
Thanks in advance,

Answer 1

here is a working example to get you started. i simulated your stdout_lines with the test_var.
we parse the test_var to get lines with 6 columns, when split with |.
we parse the list of rows from above task and try to find rows with 2nd column = Jake.
assuming its only 1 result (if you may have more rows, additional tasks are needed), get the 3 attributes in 3 variables and finally
print results
playbook:
---
- hosts: localhost
gather_facts: false
vars:
search_name: Jake
test_var:
- "----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"
- "| Name | Count | Score | State|"
- "----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"
- "| Jake | 5| 10 | CA |"
- "| Mike | 3| 15 | AR |"
- "| Jane | 3| 15 | AR |"
- "----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"
- "|Total Scores: 2 |"
- "----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"
tasks:
- name: pick up the lines we are interested in.
set_fact:
important_lines: "{{ important_lines|default([]) + [item] }}"
when: item.split('|') | length == 6
with_items:
- "{{ test_var }}"
- name: find the line with the name we are looking for in 2nd column
set_fact:
target_line: "{{ item }}"
when: item|trim is search(search_name)
with_items:
- "{{ important_lines }}"
- name: get the 3 attributes from the target line
set_fact:
attribute_count: "{{ target_line.split('|')[2]|trim }}"
attribute_score: "{{ target_line.split('|')[3]|trim }}"
attribute_state: "{{ target_line.split('|')[4]|trim }}"
- name: print results
debug:
msg: "name: {{ search_name }}, count: {{ attribute_count }}, score: {{ attribute_score }}, state: {{ attribute_state }}"
result:
[http_offline#greenhat-29 tests]$ ansible-playbook test.yml
PLAY [localhost] *******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
TASK [pick up the lines we are interested in.] *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
skipping: [localhost] => (item=----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------)
ok: [localhost] => (item=| Name | Count | Score | State|)
skipping: [localhost] => (item=----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------)
ok: [localhost] => (item=| Jake | 5| 10 | CA |)
ok: [localhost] => (item=| Mike | 3| 15 | AR |)
ok: [localhost] => (item=| Jane | 3| 15 | AR |)
skipping: [localhost] => (item=----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------)
skipping: [localhost] => (item=|Total Scores: 2 |)
skipping: [localhost] => (item=----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------)
TASK [find the line with the name we are looking for in 2nd column] ****************************************************************************************************************************************************
skipping: [localhost] => (item=| Name | Count | Score | State|)
ok: [localhost] => (item=| Jake | 5| 10 | CA |)
skipping: [localhost] => (item=| Mike | 3| 15 | AR |)
skipping: [localhost] => (item=| Jane | 3| 15 | AR |)
TASK [get the 3 attributes from the target line] ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost]
TASK [print results] ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
"msg": "name: Jake, count: 5, score: 10, state: CA"
}
PLAY RECAP *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
localhost : ok=4 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0
[http_offline#greenhat-29 tests]$
hope it helps