# ansible syntax to use "if-else" and "set" **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [June 2, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470 "2019-06-02T16:49:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sahitansar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@sahitansar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sahitansar)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/1 "2019-06-02T16:49:28Z")
Hi All, Im trying to choose ansible inventory host group conditionally. - name: Set group set\_fact: group: | {% if c == 1 %} {% set group = ‘grp1’ %} {% elif c == 2 %} {% set group == ‘grp3’ %} {% else %} {% group == ‘grp4’ %} {% endif %} - debug: var=group This doesnt seem to work. Whats the right way to use if-else with ansible set?? Kinldy assist. ---
**Author:** ![S\_C\_Rigler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@S\_C\_Rigler](https://forum.ansible.com/u/S_C_Rigler)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 6:51am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/2 "2019-06-03T06:51:48Z")
In your example of what you’re trying to do, you’re setting “group” inside of the template but never returning it to the task. What you might want is something like this: - name: Set Group set\_fact: group: | {% if c == 1 %} grp1 {% elif c ==2 %} grp3 {% else %} grp4 {% endif %} – Steve ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/original/1X/1882d9a01da5d8996a862359b0913cc568a39b84.svg) [@system](https://forum.ansible.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/3 "2019-06-13T23:12:50Z")
vars:    group: ' {{ c ==1|ternary('gr1', c==2|ternary('grp3', 'grp4')) }}' ---
**Author:** ![sahitansar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@sahitansar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sahitansar)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/4 "2019-06-15T17:14:47Z")
Hi Brian, how can I use this if no of groups I have is like 10 ? ---
**Author:** ![Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kai_Stian_Olstad)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/5 "2019-06-15T17:25:15Z")
Just extent it with parentheses inside parentheses, not recommended since it makes it more or less unreadable so just use the solution Steve Rigler gave you. ---
**Author:** ![Karl\_Auer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cc9497/32.png) [@Karl\_Auer](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Karl_Auer)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/6 "2019-06-15T17:39:19Z")
Or maybe a series of set\_fact: statements: - set\_fact group: ‘BAD’ - set\_fact: group: grp1 when: c == 1 - set\_fact: group: grp2 when: c == 2 - set\_fact: group: grp3 when: c == 3 […etc…] - fail: msg: “Invalid value for ‘c’ or ‘c’ not set!” when: group == ‘BAD’ Regards, K. ---
**Author:** ![sahitansar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@sahitansar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sahitansar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 11:21am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/7 "2019-06-16T11:21:17Z")
Hi All, Thankyou for the response, I used Rigler’s set\_fact to determine the hostgroup like below - name: Set Group set\_fact: group: | {% if c == 1 %} grp1 {% elif c ==2 %} grp3 {% else %} grp4 {% endif %} - name: Run the playbook hosts: “{{ hostvars.localhost.group }}” roles: - myplaybook.yml My inventory file is like below: hosts.ini [appdagents] grp1 grp2 grp3 . . . grp8 [grp1:vars] var1=“asfadfdsg” [grp2:vars] var1=“gsfgfh” . . . [grp1] host1/db1 ansible\_host=host1 db=db1 host1/db2 ansible\_host=host1 db=db2 . . . etc Im getting below error. ```auto [WARNING]: **Could not match supplied host pattern, ignoring: grp1** ``` ```auto ``` ```auto I did look into few github issues and it says any commented lines in hosts.ini could cause a problem and I dont have any commented lines. ``` ```auto Kindly help ``` ---
**Author:** ![Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kai_Stian_Olstad)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:06pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/8 "2019-06-16T12:06:03Z")
> Hi All, > > Thankyou for the response, I used Rigler's set\_fact to determine the > hostgroup like below > > - name: Set Group >   set\_fact: >     group: | >       {% if c == 1 %} >       grp1 >       {% elif c ==2 %} >       grp3 >       {% else %} >       grp4 >       {% endif %} My hunch is that this produce a new line at the end. You can check with    - debug: var=group So when using YAML multi line you need to control the newlines. > - will remove the last newline and {%- will remove any newline produced by the YAML multiple lines - name: Set Group    set\_fact:      group: |-        {% if c == 1 %}        grp1        {%- elif c ==2 %}        grp3        {%- else %}        grp4        {%- endif %} > Im getting below error. > > [WARNING]: \*\*Could not match supplied host pattern, ignoring: grp1\*\* It's probably a newline at the end. ---
**Author:** ![sahitansar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@sahitansar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sahitansar)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/9 "2019-06-17T02:50:25Z")
HI Kai , I tried giving if in a single line and still get same error. - name : set fact variable set\_fact: group: “{% if c == 1 %}grp1{% elif c == 2 %}grp2{% else %}grp3{% endif %}” Same error as mentioned above ---
**Author:** ![sahitansar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@sahitansar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sahitansar)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/10 "2019-06-17T13:44:21Z")
I noticed Host “{{ hostvars.localhost.group}}” Isn’t working. What’s the best way to choose host groups on which my playbook should run dynamically kindly help. ---
**Author:** ![sahitansar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@sahitansar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sahitansar)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/11 "2019-06-18T18:18:06Z")
Hi Rigler , Another doubt, I’m trying to use this “if else block” with “set” inside a variable jinja2 file used in roles templating. Cat varfile.yml.j2 ---
**Author:** ![Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kai_Stian_Olstad)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansible-syntax-to-use-if-else-and-set/30470/12 "2019-06-18T18:25:20Z")
You can't use set like this, that's why we have given you another way of doing this.