Ansible – Test variables types

Here is a playbook for understanding the Ansible test with variables types

---
- hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: no
  vars:
    string: "string"
    list:
      - item1
      - item2
    dict:
      key1: value1
      key2: value2
    object:
      k1: "string"
      k2: [ "item1", "item2" ]
      k3: { 'i1': 'v1', 'i2': 'v2' }
  tasks:
    - name: "dict is mapping"
      debug: msg="dict is mapping"
      when: dict is mapping
    - name: "list is mapping"
      debug: msg="list is mapping"
      when: list is mapping
    - name: "string is mapping"
      debug: msg="string is mapping"
      when: string is mapping
    - name: "dict is sequence"
      debug: msg="dict is sequence"
      when: dict is sequence
    - name: "list is sequence"
      debug: msg="list is sequence"
      when: list is sequence
    - name: "string is sequence"
      debug: msg="string is sequence"
      when: string is sequence
    - name: "dict is iterable"
      debug: msg="dict is iterable"
      when: dict is iterable
    - name: "list is iterable"
      debug: msg="list is iterable"
      when: list is iterable
    - name: "string is iterable"
      debug: msg="string is iterable"
      when: string is iterable
    - name: "dict is string"
      debug: msg="dict is string"
      when: dict is string
    - name: "list is string"
      debug: msg="list is string"
      when: list is string
    - name: "string is string"
      debug: msg="string is string"
      when: string is string
    - copy:
        dest: ./variable.txt
        content: |
          {% for k,v in object.iteritems() -%}
            {% if v is string -%}
            "string: {{ v }}"
            {% elif v is mapping -%}
              {% for j,l in v.iteritems() -%}
                "{{ j }}: {{ l }}"
              {% endfor -%}
            {% elif v is sequence -%}
              {% for n in v -%}
                "- {{ n }}"
              {% endfor -%}
            {% else -%}
              "what?"
            {% endif -%}
          {% endfor -%}

This will produce this output

PLAY [localhost] ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [dict is mapping] *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "dict is mapping"
}

TASK [list is mapping] *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
skipping: [localhost]

TASK [string is mapping] *******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
skipping: [localhost]

TASK [dict is sequence] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "dict is sequence"
}

TASK [list is sequence] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "list is sequence"
}

TASK [string is sequence] ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "string is sequence"
}

TASK [dict is iterable] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "dict is iterable"
}

TASK [list is iterable] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "list is iterable"
}

TASK [string is iterable] ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "string is iterable"
}

TASK [dict is string] **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
skipping: [localhost]

TASK [list is string] **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
skipping: [localhost]

TASK [string is string] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "string is string"
}

TASK [copy] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=9    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0   

And this file

"i1: v1"
"i2: v2"
"- item1"
"- item2"
"string: string"