# Generating a role's argument\_specs.yml based on defaults **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Tags:** role\ **Created:** [November 7, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-roles-argument-specs-yml-based-on-defaults/2208 "2023-11-07T16:52:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SaasyEngineer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/saasyengineer/32/417_2.png) [@SaasyEngineer](https://forum.ansible.com/u/SaasyEngineer)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-roles-argument-specs-yml-based-on-defaults/2208/1 "2023-11-07T16:52:28Z")
Hey all, My team maintains about ~60 Ansible roles internally and for reasons I won’t get into, we are just now upgrading to Ansible 2.15 from 2.10. 🥲 This upgrade gives us the ability to leverage argument\_specs, which I think is going to be essential for our CI plans since it gives us a way to contract test our roles. The current plan is to go back and update all of our roles with said argument\_specs - which is definitely a lot of work. My question - is anyone aware of a tool that can scrape an Ansible role’s default vars and generate at least a partial argument\_specs.yml? If not, i’m thinking we may develop something like this. Thank You! ---
**Author:** ![tanganellilore](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/tanganellilore/32/178_2.png) [@tanganellilore](https://forum.ansible.com/u/tanganellilore)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-roles-argument-specs-yml-based-on-defaults/2208/2 "2023-11-08T21:50:37Z")
Hi, In my company we do something similar but for readme of the role. We scarpe the role and we add variable with respective comment in a table of readme. For required variable we also scrape the yml file and we check the assert /fail module to understand what is mandatory. I thinking to add/migrate also our roles to argument\_spec and also to use the “auto” asseriton but (there is a but ☹) this is very poor in terms of asseriton and control. Code is internal and I can’t share it, but is very simple python that load default file and read lines with comment and for assert/fail load it as a pure yaml. ---
**Author:** ![tanganellilore](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/tanganellilore/32/178_2.png) [@tanganellilore](https://forum.ansible.com/u/tanganellilore)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-roles-argument-specs-yml-based-on-defaults/2208/3 "2023-11-10T22:15:51Z")
Hi, I open a issue with PR on ansible side to start some “rework” on argument\_spec in a way to enfocer strict object. I think that in this way this features will be come very, very usefull. Follow it and 👍 if you think that will help you!! ---
**Author:** ![rndmh3ro](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/rndmh3ro/32/269_2.png) [@rndmh3ro](https://forum.ansible.com/u/rndmh3ro)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2023, 10:50am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-roles-argument-specs-yml-based-on-defaults/2208/4 "2023-12-04T10:50:47Z")
I’d be interested in this, too! I recently took over a [tool](https://github.com/telekom-mms/Automated-Ansible-Role-Documentation) to automatically create a roles’ readme from the meta-information and argument\_specs, so this would be a nice addition. ---
**Author:** ![tanganellilore](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/tanganellilore/32/178_2.png) [@tanganellilore](https://forum.ansible.com/u/tanganellilore)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 9:30pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/generating-a-roles-argument-specs-yml-based-on-defaults/2208/5 "2024-01-05T21:30:08Z")
Just Fyi some links: > > > \### Summary > > Hi team, > > I notice that the in the validate\_argument\_spec module,… when we validate a list, validation try to convert it in a list and in case of int or boolean (in python bool is intended as int with \`isinstance\` function) will be "casted" to string: https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/667526c22ff59bbe7bc790bf505b7f09cae3856f/lib/ansible/module\_utils/common/validation.py#L390-L410 > > This is intended? > > Moreover there is a way to force the "strict" validation instead a validation that try to "convert" data? > Something like \`allow\_conversion\` that i see in \`check\_type\_str\` but that is not used by \`validate\_argument\_spec\`. > > Becuase in that way we can strict the value and/or use it in the module as parameters (or add it as keyof model), to have a strinct check . > > Thanks > > > > \### Issue Type > > Bug Report > > \### Component Name > > validate\_argument\_spec > > \### Ansible Version > > \`\`\`console > ansible \[core 2.15.1\] > python version = 3.10.6 > jinja version = 3.1.2 > libyaml = True > \`\`\` > > > \### Configuration > > \`\`\`console > CACHE\_PLUGIN(/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg) = jsonfile > CACHE\_PLUGIN\_CONNECTION(/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg) = /tmp/facts\_cache > CACHE\_PLUGIN\_TIMEOUT(/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg) = 7200 > CONFIG\_FILE() = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg > DEFAULT\_GATHERING(/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg) = smart > > CACHE: > ===== > > jsonfile: > \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ > \_timeout(/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg) = 7200 > \_uri(/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg) = /tmp/facts\_cache > \`\`\` > > > \### OS / Environment > > Ubuntu 22.04 > > \### Steps to Reproduce > > > \`\`\`yaml (paste below) > \- name: Test > hosts: localhost > vars: > params: > add\_options: true > tasks: > - name: verify > ansible.builtin.validate\_argument\_spec: > argument\_spec: '{{ required\_data }}' > provided\_arguments: "{{ params }}" > vars: > required\_data: > add\_options: > type: list > default: \[\] > elements: str > \`\`\` > > > \### Expected Results > > Task will fail because: > > 1. Type of add\_options is boolean > 2. If will be performet a convertion of single element in a list, i'm expect that element in list will be boolean, but is converted to string > > > \### Actual Results > > \`\`\`console > Task will pass > \`\`\` > > > \### Code of Conduct > > \- \[X\] I agree to follow the Ansible Code of Conduct [Add allow conversion for validate\_argument\_spec by tanganellilore · Pull Request #82190 · ansible/ansible · GitHub](https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/82190) (colesd in favour of draft pr) [Add support for X\_strict types in argspec by sivel · Pull Request #81575 · ansible/ansible · GitHub](https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/81575)