# Boolean evaluation fails on variables set via inventory **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [September 26, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/boolean-evaluation-fails-on-variables-set-via-inventory/13562 "2013-09-26T21:21:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ross\_Becker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Ross\_Becker](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Ross_Becker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/boolean-evaluation-fails-on-variables-set-via-inventory/13562/1 "2013-09-26T21:21:20Z")
I’ve verified this in both ansible 1.2.2 and 1.3.0; any variable I set in an inventory file cannot be evaluated as a variable, which is a pretty big caveat the docs don’t mention. I can only evaluate variables as booleans if they are set in the playbooks. ====== inventory file ======= [all:vars] epic=False [configurator] 127.0.0.1 =======playbook======== - hosts: configurator user: root gather\_facts: False tasks: - name: Boolean test debug: msg=“This is so epic!” when: epic ---
**Author:** ![James\_Cammarata1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@James\_Cammarata1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James_Cammarata1)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/boolean-evaluation-fails-on-variables-set-via-inventory/13562/2 "2013-09-26T21:29:00Z")
Use “when: epic|bool”, to ensure the variable is cast as a boolean - otherwise it is evaluated as a string, which is always true. ---
**Author:** ![Ross\_Becker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Ross\_Becker](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Ross_Becker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/boolean-evaluation-fails-on-variables-set-via-inventory/13562/3 "2013-09-26T21:58:38Z")
Thanks! Works in ansible 1.3, notsomuch in 1.2.2, but at least it’s solveable. ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca1)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/boolean-evaluation-fails-on-variables-set-via-inventory/13562/4 "2013-09-26T22:17:32Z")
It only affects setting them in the ini files, works in yaml(host\_vars/group\_vars). I need to test but I assume it also works in the json returned from inventory scripts. ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca1)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/boolean-evaluation-fails-on-variables-set-via-inventory/13562/5 "2013-09-26T22:24:33Z")
try this, might fix the issue (also enable passing lists/dicts) — a/lib/ansible/inventory/ini.py +++ b/lib/ansible/inventory/ini.py @@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from ansible.inventory.expand\_hosts import expand\_hostname\_range from ansible import errors import shlex import re +import ast class InventoryParser(object): “”" @@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ class InventoryParser(object): (k,v) = t.split(“=”) except ValueError, e: raise errors.AnsibleError(“Invalid ini entry: %s - %s” % (t, str(e))) - host.set\_variable(k,v) - host.set\_variable(k,ast.literal\_eval(v)) self.groups[active\_group\_name].add\_host(host) # [southeast:children] ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan2)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/boolean-evaluation-fails-on-variables-set-via-inventory/13562/6 "2013-09-26T22:28:09Z")
Set your variables in host\_vars and group\_vars instead and types are preserved. I don’t want to do ast evals and we are likely to discourage keeping variables in the mainline INI. ---
**Author:** ![mickours](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mickours](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mickours)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 9:45am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/boolean-evaluation-fails-on-variables-set-via-inventory/13562/7 "2015-11-26T09:45:20Z")
Hi, sorry for necro bumping this but I think that have variable in inventory files are necessary in some use case and that boolean should be working in it. For example I have to environments (and to inventory files) one with a proxy the other without. To associate the proxy to the environment I add a use\_proxy=true in my inventory file. If I put it in group\_vars I will have to change it each time I switch environment. So if this use case make sens to you I think the variable should be properly evaluated, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/boolean-evaluation-fails-on-variables-set-via-inventory/13562/8 "2015-11-27T21:03:03Z")
@mickours, not sure what you are stating, but the inventory has for a long time included code similar to the sample you are quoting.