# display information returned with debug in a more usable layout **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [July 18, 2022, 4:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/display-information-returned-with-debug-in-a-more-usable-layout/36865 "2022-07-18T16:15:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dulhaver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/dulhaver/32/1061_2.png) [@dulhaver](https://forum.ansible.com/u/dulhaver)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2022, 4:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/display-information-returned-with-debug-in-a-more-usable-layout/36865/1 "2022-07-18T16:15:19Z")
I am trying to retreive information about installed versions of a package on a couple of hosts. - name: check pgBackRest version command: /usr/bin/pgbackrest version register: backrest\_version - name: Print return information from the previous task ansible.builtin.debug: var: backrest\_version the output I am getting is already contains the information wanted but is not sufficiently handy format-wise.especially running on more then a handfull of hosts. TASK [Print return information from the previous task] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ok: [step-0227] =\> { “backrest\_version”: { “changed”: true, “cmd”: [ “/usr/bin/pgbackrest”, “version” ], “delta”: “0:00:00.008057”, “end”: “2022-07-18 18:08:20.394231”, “failed”: false, “msg”: “”, “rc”: 0, “start”: “2022-07-18 18:08:20.386174”, “stderr”: “”, “stderr\_lines”: , “stdout”: “pgBackRest 2.39”, “stdout\_lines”: [ “ **pgBackRest 2.39** ” ] } } To make this more scalable I am wondering to how to tweak this further so I can get a more usable kind of list or csv with only the concrete information needed like domainname & the version of my package in question. So what would be the direction to investigat in order to move towards the happyplace in this endeavour? ---
**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2022, 5:54pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/display-information-returned-with-debug-in-a-more-usable-layout/36865/2 "2022-07-18T17:54:13Z")
>      ok: [step-0227] =\> { >      "backrest\_version": { >       ... >      "stdout": "pgBackRest 2.39", > ... get a more usable kind of list or csv with ... domainname & the > version of my package in question. Get versions and create dictionary \*pkg\*   ver: "{{ ansible\_play\_hosts|            map('extract', hostvars, ['backrest\_version', 'stdout'])|            map('split', ' ')|map('last')|            list }}"   pkg: "{{ dict(ansible\_play\_hosts|zip(ver)) }}" For example, given the data   ok: [test\_11] =\>     backrest\_version.stdout: pgBackRest 2.39   ok: [test\_12] =\>     backrest\_version.stdout: pgBackRest 2.40   ok: [test\_13] =\>     backrest\_version.stdout: pgBackRest 2.41 you get the dictionary   pkg:     test\_11: '2.39'     test\_12: '2.40'     test\_13: '2.41' Write the CSV file     - copy:         dest: pkg.csv         content: |-           {% for k,v in pkg.items() %}           {{ k }},{{ v }}           {% endfor %}       delegate\_to: localhost       run\_once: true You get   \> cat pkg.csv   test\_11,2.39   test\_12,2.40   test\_13,2.41 ---
**Author:** ![dulhaver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/dulhaver/32/1061_2.png) [@dulhaver](https://forum.ansible.com/u/dulhaver)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 11:49am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/display-information-returned-with-debug-in-a-more-usable-layout/36865/3 "2022-07-20T11:49:50Z")
thx for the suggestions. I am sure they are grant, but I seem not to be at level to put them to work correctly yet. So, would you mind to specify how to utilize those lines successfully? my interpretation looked like this: ######### playbook ######################################### - hosts: all   vars:     ansible\_user: gwagner   tasks:     - name: check pgBackRest version       ansible.builtin.command: /usr/bin/pgbackrest version       register: backrest\_version     - name: Print return information from the previous task       ansible.builtin.debug:         var: backrest\_version     - name: Get versions and create dictionary \*pkg\*       ver: "{{ ansible\_play\_hosts | map('extract', hostvars, ['backrest\_version', 'stdout']) | map('split', ' ') | map('last') | list }}"       pkg: "{{ dict(ansible\_play\_hosts|zip(ver)) }}"     - name: Write the CSV file       copy:         dest: pkg.csv         content: |-           {% for k,v in pkg.items() %}           {{ k }},{{ v }}           {% endfor %}       delegate\_to: localhost       run\_once: true ---
**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 12:03pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/display-information-returned-with-debug-in-a-more-usable-layout/36865/4 "2022-07-20T12:03:00Z")
You're welcome. Put the declarations of \*ver\* and \*pkg\* into the \*vars\*. I edited your code in-line ---
**Author:** ![dulhaver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/dulhaver/32/1061_2.png) [@dulhaver](https://forum.ansible.com/u/dulhaver)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 12:48pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/display-information-returned-with-debug-in-a-more-usable-layout/36865/5 "2022-07-20T12:48:51Z")
thnks, that worked (of course). I try not to be embarrased too much for having someone spelling this outfor me like this :-). Hopefully I'll be able to pay back to this list later down the road. I see there is a lot to learn and understand yet (in this case "use of variables" for example). ---
**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/display-information-returned-with-debug-in-a-more-usable-layout/36865/6 "2022-07-20T17:29:31Z")
> I see there is a lot to learn and understand yet (in this case "use > of variables" for example). > \> \> - hosts: all > \> \> vars: > \> \> ansible\_user: gwagner > \> \> ver: "{{ ansible\_play\_hosts| > \> \> map('extract', hostvars, ['backrest\_version', 'stdout'])| > \> \> map('split', ' ')|map('last')| > \> \> list }}" > \> \> pkg: "{{ dict(ansible\_play\_hosts|zip(ver)) }}" > \> \> > \> \> tasks: > \> \> - name: check pgBackRest version > \> \> ansible.builtin.command: /usr/bin/pgbackrest version > \> \> register: backrest\_version > \> \> > \> \> - name: Print return information from the previous task > \> \> ansible.builtin.debug: > \> \> var: backrest\_version.stdout > \> \> when: debug|d(false)|bool > \> \> > \> \> - name: Write the CSV file > \> \> ansible.builtin.copy: > \> \> dest: pkg.csv > \> \> content: |- > \> \> {% for k,v in pkg.items() %} > \> \> {{ k }},{{ v }} > \> \> {% endfor %} > \> \> delegate\_to: localhost > \> \> run\_once: true There are a couple of aspects. \* It's good to know that in Ansible the variables are evaluated at   the last moment, aka "lazy evaluation". \* There are many places where you can declare variables. See   [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user\_guide/playbooks\_variables.html#variable-precedence-where-should-i-put-a-variable](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks_variables.html#variable-precedence-where-should-i-put-a-variable) \* Where would you like to use the variables? In your case, this is   probably the best question to ask when you want to decide where to   declare the variables. Put them into the playbook vars (above) if   you want to use them in the whole playbook. If you need the   variables to write the CSV file only put them into the task vars   (below)   - name: Write the CSV file     ansible.builtin.copy:       dest: pkg.csv       content: |-         {% for k,v in pkg.items() %}         {{ k }},{{ v }}         {% endfor %}     delegate\_to: localhost     run\_once: true     vars:       ver: "{{ ansible\_play\_hosts|                map('extract', hostvars,                ['backrest\_version','stdout'])|map('split', ' ')|                map('last')|               list }}"       pkg: "{{ dict(ansible\_play\_hosts|zip(ver)) }}"   This limits the scope of the variables. See   [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user\_guide/playbooks\_variables.html#scoping-variables](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks_variables.html#scoping-variables) \* To make the code cleaner, you can put the variables into some files.   For example into the group\_vars,   \> cat group\_vars/all   ansible\_user: gwagner   ver: "{{ ansible\_play\_hosts|            map('extract', hostvars, ['backrest\_version', 'stdout'])|            map('split', ' ')|map('last')|            list }}"   pkg: "{{ dict(ansible\_play\_hosts|zip(ver)) }}"   content: |-     {% for k,v in pkg.items() %}     {{ k }},{{ v }}     {% endfor %}   This will simplify the playbook   - hosts: all     tasks:       - name: check pgBackRest version         ansible.builtin.command: /usr/bin/pgbackrest version         register: backrest\_version       - name: Write the CSV file         ansible.builtin.copy:           dest: pkg.csv           content: "{{ content }}"         delegate\_to: localhost         run\_once: true