create-vars-of-filenames-from-find-module-using-map.md

The file names as a result of a call to the find module are stored in:

• a dict, containing (among others):
  • a list named files, each element being:
    • a dict, containing (among others)
      • an element named path with the value of the absolute path name of the file.

Code:

    - name: Find all files of a pattern
      ansible.builtin.find:
        paths:
          - /var/tmp/find-test
        patterns:
          - "file-*.txt"
      register: __register_find_result
      changed_when: no

Output:

__register_find_result: {
        "changed": false,
        "examined": 49,
        "failed": false,
        "files": [
            {
                "atime": 1644591074.602834,
                "ctime": 1644591071.2867982,
                "dev": 64770,
...
                "path": "/var/tmp/find-test/file-01.txt",
...
            },
            {
                "atime": 1644591061.6116943,
                "ctime": 1644591045.2365181,
                "dev": 64770,
...
                "path": "/var/tmp/find-test/file-02.txt",
...
            },
            {
                "atime": 1715094703.749879,
                "ctime": 1715095207.574177,
                "dev": 64770,
...
                "path": "/var/tmp/find-test/extracted/file-03.txt",
...
            },
        ],
        "matched": 3,
        "msg": "All paths examined",
        "skipped_paths": {}
   }

You can access a single element of the variable find_result as follows:

    - name: Show the first path of variable find_result
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        msg: "{{ __register_find_result.files[0].path }}"

Output:

ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "/var/tmp/file-01.txt"
}

You can copy the resulting absolute file names into a new list as follows:

    - name: Set fact of absolute file names from the find result
      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
        __fact_filenames: >-
          {{ __register_find_result.files
            | map(attribute = 'path')
            | sort }}

    - name: Display the resulting list of absolute file names
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        var: __fact_filenames

Output:

TASK [Display the resulting list of absolute file names] ***********************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] =>
  __fact_filenames:
    - /var/tmp/find-test/extracted/file-03.txt
    - /var/tmp/find-test/file-01.txt
    - /var/tmp/find-test/file-02.txt

You can also filter the resulting list of absolute file names, for example for excluding a certain directory, as follows:

    - name: Set fact of absolute file names from the find result, excluding files from a certain directory, for example `extracted`
      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
        __fact_filenames: >-
          {{ __register_find_result.files
            | map(attribute = 'path')
            | reject('contains', 'extracted/')
            | sort }}

    - name: Display the resulting list of absolute file names, excluding the string 'extracted/'
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        var: __fact_filenames

Output:

TASK [Display the resulting list of absolute file names] ***********************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] =>
  __fact_filenames:
    - /var/tmp/find-test/file-01.txt
    - /var/tmp/find-test/file-02.txt

You can copy the resulting relative file names into a new list as follows:

    - name: Set fact of relative file names from the find result
      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
        __fact_filenames_relative: >-
          {{ __register_find_result.files
            | map(attribute = 'path')
            | map('basename')
            | list
            | sort }}

    - name: Display the resulting list of relative file names
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        var: __fact_filenames_relative

Output:

TASK [Display the resulting list of relative file names] ***********************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] =>
  __fact_filenames_relative:
  - file-01.txt
  - file-02.txt
  - file-03.txt

You can copy the highest absolute file name into a new variable as follows:

    - name: Set fact of the highest absolute file name from the find result
      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
        __fact_filenames_highest: >-
          {{ __register_find_result.files
            | map(attribute = 'path')
            | sort | last }}

    - name: Display the highest absolute file name
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        var: __fact_filenames_highest

Output:

TASK [Display the highest absolute file name] **********************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] =>
  __fact_filenames_highest: /var/tmp/find-test/file-02.txt

You can copy the highest relative file name into a new variable as follows:

    - name: Set fact of the highest file name (basename) from the find result
      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
        __fact_filenames_highest_relative: >-
          {{ __register_find_result.files
            | map(attribute = 'path')
            | map('basename')
            | sort | last }}

    - name: Display the highest relative file name
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        var: __fact_filenames_highest_relative

Output:

TASK [Display the highest relative file name] **********************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] =>
  __fact_filenames_highest_relative: file-03.txt

You can copy the highest relative file name excluding files from a certain directory, for example extracted, into a new variable, as follows:

    - name: Set fact of the highest file name (basename) from the find result, excluding files from a certain directory
      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
        __fact_filenames_highest_relative_filtered: >-
          {{ __register_find_result.files
            | map(attribute = 'path')
            | reject('contains', 'extracted/')
            | map('basename')
            | sort | last }}

    - name: Display the highest relative file name, skipping those from directory 'extracted/'
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        var: __fact_filenames_highest_relative_filtered

Output:

TASK [Display the highest relative file name, skipping those from directory 'extracted/'] **********************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] =>
  __fact_filenames_highest_relative_filtered: file-02.txt