# Find and replace values in dict **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Tags:** playbook, jinja2\ **Created:** [February 25, 2024, 6:33pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/find-and-replace-values-in-dict/4047 "2024-02-25T18:33:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brainmue](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/brainmue/32/2403_2.png) [@brainmue](https://forum.ansible.com/u/brainmue)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2024, 6:33pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/find-and-replace-values-in-dict/4047/1 "2024-02-25T18:33:56Z")
Hello everyone, I have a problem that I just can’t solve. I want to find and replace a value in a dict. I need a task that searches for the elements under `Part1` in the dict `Starting_situation` and replaces them with the value from `To_be_replaced`. For example, the `Part1-A` is replaced by `AAA1234`. At the end the same DIct with the replaced values should remain. I would be very grateful for a solution, because somehow all my jinja attempts do not lead to the desired goal. Here is the data: ```auto Starting_situation: - Level: x00 Part1: - Part1-A Part2: true Part3: - A: Info B: 20% C: false - Level: y00 Part1: - Part1-B - Part1-C Part2: true Part3: - A: Info B: 43% C: true ``` ```auto To_be_replaced: Part1-A: AAA1234 Part1-B: BBB4321 Part1-C: CBA9876 ``` The desired result should then be stored in a new variable `Wished_result` and look like this: ```auto Wished_result: - Level: x00 Part1: - AAA1234 Part2: true Part3: - A: Info B: 20% C: false - Level: y00 Part1: - BBB4321 - CBA9876 Part2: true Part3: - A: Info B: 43% C: true ``` ---
**Author:** ![utoddl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/utoddl/32/249_2.png) [@utoddl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/utoddl)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/find-and-replace-values-in-dict/4047/2 "2024-02-26T20:46:30Z")
The `ansible.utils.replace_keys` filter does exactly what you want, but with keys instead of values. It should be possible to use `ansible_collections/ansible/utils/plugins/plugin_utils/replace_keys.py` as a starting point and create a filter that does a similar thing with values. Another approach would be to convert `Starting_situation` to a string with `to_yaml` or `to_json`, then loop over your `To_be_replaced` keys substituting the values with `regex_replace`, and finally converting the whole thing back with `from_yaml` or `from_json` as appropriate. This may be a bit shaky if you have “interesting” strings in `To_be_replaced` – i.e. regex meta-characters. Here’s a working implementation of the latter method: ```yaml --- # brainmue01.yml - name: Swapping values via map hosts: localhost gather_facts: false vars: Starting_situation: - Level: x00 Part1: - Part1-A Part2: true Part3: - A: Info B: 20% C: false - Level: y00 Part1: - Part1-B - Part1-C Part2: true Part3: - A: Info B: 43% C: true To_be_replaced: Part1-A: AAA1234 Part1-B: BBB4321 Part1-C: CBA9876 tasks: - name: Overwrite Starting_situation variable with a fact ansible.builtin.set_fact: Starting_situation: '{{ Starting_situation | to_json | regex_replace("\b" ~ item ~ "\b", To_be_replaced[item]) }}' loop: '{{ To_be_replaced.keys() }}' - name: Show the resulting fact ansible.builtin.debug: msg: '{{ Starting_situation }}' ``` ---
**Author:** ![binbashroot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@binbashroot](https://forum.ansible.com/u/binbashroot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 12:30am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/find-and-replace-values-in-dict/4047/3 "2024-02-27T00:30:00Z")
You may want to consider using the “update\_facts” module. See: [ansible.utils.update\_fact module – Update currently set facts — Ansible Documentation](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/ansible/utils/update_fact_module.html) ---
**Author:** ![brainmue](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/brainmue/32/2403_2.png) [@brainmue](https://forum.ansible.com/u/brainmue)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/find-and-replace-values-in-dict/4047/4 "2024-02-27T20:43:25Z")
@utoddl : Thank you very much, that is a very cool idea 💡 to serialize the dict and then search and replace and then deserialize again. The solution works perfectly in my case. ---
**Author:** ![brainmue](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/brainmue/32/2403_2.png) [@brainmue](https://forum.ansible.com/u/brainmue)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/find-and-replace-values-in-dict/4047/5 "2024-02-27T20:46:59Z")
@binbashroot: Thanks for the tip, I’ll play with it too. > update\_facts > I think it also has great potential and offers many possible applications. ---
**Author:** ![chris](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/chris/32/293_2.png) [@chris](https://forum.ansible.com/u/chris)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/find-and-replace-values-in-dict/4047/6 "2024-02-29T16:25:21Z")
Another option might be to use the [combine filter](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/ansible/builtin/combine_filter.html)? ---
**Author:** ![brainmue](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/brainmue/32/2403_2.png) [@brainmue](https://forum.ansible.com/u/brainmue)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 4:41pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/find-and-replace-values-in-dict/4047/7 "2024-02-29T16:41:06Z")
Thank you, also a very interesting idea. If I understand it correctly, then I would have to build the same structure with Part1 and then it would simply replace that. But searching for the right value makes it more difficult. But I think I can still use this for other challenges. ---
**Author:** ![utoddl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/utoddl/32/249_2.png) [@utoddl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/utoddl)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 4:48pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/find-and-replace-values-in-dict/4047/8 "2024-02-29T16:48:23Z")
I tried using the [combine filter](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/ansible/builtin/combine_filter.html) on this problem, but everything I came up with (which wasn’t much) needed to have the parameters reversed. That is, instead of “`A | combine(B)`” I needed “`B | combine(A)`”. I’ve fruitlessly tried that before, so abandoned the attempt. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/original/1X/1882d9a01da5d8996a862359b0913cc568a39b84.svg) [@system](https://forum.ansible.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 4:48pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/find-and-replace-values-in-dict/4047/9 "2024-03-30T16:48:44Z")
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.