# Further variable usage improvements in 1.2

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/further-variable-usage-improvements-in-1-2/12711>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [April 23, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/further-variable-usage-improvements-in-1-2/12711 "2013-04-23T02:22:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**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:** [April 23, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/further-variable-usage-improvements-in-1-2/12711/1 "2013-04-23T02:22:57Z")

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I pushed a set of fixes that allow some things like:

- include: path.yml a={{ foo }} b={{ bar }}

where as before, the spacing would confuse Ansible

I also made several fixes that allow things like:

with\_nested:

- list\_var

- other\_list\_var

with\_items: alist\_var

environment: dictionary\_var

tasks:

- action: debug

args: dictionary\_var

Just being able to pass the names of variables in here, just like you could already do with\_items, means you can keep things simple and don’t have to quote things.

Ugly:

with\_items: “{{ foo }}”

Better:

with\_items: foo

and so on.

Let me know if there are places you try this syntax and it does not work as you think it would, and we’ll go back and fix them in.

Thanks everyone for patience as we work on the 1.2 development version, I think this is a HUGE improvement of having to reference so many variables with dollar signs (or even {{ brackets }}) and it’s definitely worth the trouble getting there.

Much appreciated everyone for helping pound on this!