# How can I set\_fact based on a "registered" result? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [September 6, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-set-fact-based-on-a-registered-result/25418 "2017-09-06T16:14:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dayton\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dayton\_Jones](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dayton_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-set-fact-based-on-a-registered-result/25418/1 "2017-09-06T16:14:10Z")
ansible-playbook 2.3.0.0 python version = 2.7.12 I’m trying to set some facts based on the user-data given for an EC2 instance: ` - name: Initialization hosts: localhost connection: local tasks: - name: Get userdata uri: url: [http://169.254.169.254/latest/user-data](http://169.254.169.254/latest/user-data) return\_content: yes register: metadata - name: Set userdata fact set\_fact: userdata: “{{ metadata.content | from\_yaml }}” - debug: var: userdata ` which returns: `TASK [debug] *************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ok: [localhost] => { "changed": false, "userdata": "nx-app=web nx-name=my.hostname.net nx-state=standby nx-system=prod nx-version=01" }` But I’m having trouble pulling the userdata. out: ` - name: Set facts needed from userdata set\_fact: system: “{{ userdata.nx-system }}” version: “{{ userdata.nx-version }}” app: “{{ userdata.nx-app }}” state: “{{ userdata.nx-state }}” name: “{{ userdata.nx-name }}” ` `TASK [Set facts needed from userdata] ***************************************************************************************************************** fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! => {"failed": true, "msg": "the field 'args' has an invalid value, which appears to include a variable that is undefined. The error was: 'unicode object' has no attribute 'nx'\n\nThe error appears to have been in 'data.yml': line 21, column 7, but may\nbe elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.\n\nThe offending line appears to be:\n\n\n - name: Set facts needed from userdata\n ^ here\n"}` What am I missing? I’ve tried several things but haven’t hit on the solution so I’m open to any suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kai\_Stian\_Olstad](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kai_Stian_Olstad)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-set-fact-based-on-a-registered-result/25418/2 "2017-09-06T17:07:12Z")
> ansible-playbook 2.3.0.0 > python version = 2.7.12 > > I'm trying to set some facts based on the user-data given for an EC2 > instance: > > - name: Initialization >    hosts: localhost >    connection: local >    tasks: >      - name: Get userdata >        uri: >          url: [http://169.254.169.254/latest/user-data](http://169.254.169.254/latest/user-data) >          return\_content: yes >        register: metadata >      - name: Set userdata fact >        set\_fact: >          userdata: "{{ metadata.content | from\_yaml }}" >      - debug: >          var: userdata > > which returns: > > TASK [debug] > \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* > ok: [localhost] =\> { >      "changed": false, >      "userdata": "nx-app=web nx-name=my.hostname.net nx-state=standby > nx-system=prod nx-version=01" > } This show that userdata is a string. > But I'm having trouble pulling the userdata.\ out: > >      - name: Set facts needed from userdata >        set\_fact: >          system: "{{ userdata.nx-system }}" >          version: "{{ userdata.nx-version }}" >          app: "{{ userdata.nx-app }}" >          state: "{{ userdata.nx-state }}" >          name: "{{ userdata.nx-name }}" Since userdata is a string it's not possible to use array syntax. > What am I missing? I've tried several things but haven't hit on the > solution so I'm open to any suggestions. What is the output of - debug: var=metadata.content ---
**Author:** ![Dayton\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dayton\_Jones](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dayton_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-can-i-set-fact-based-on-a-registered-result/25418/3 "2017-09-06T17:39:37Z")
Yep, realized I was trying to parse it as JSON, or YAML very much incorrectly… I have a solution now, though it’s quite ugly and requires replacing a character and splitting on newlines… ` - name: Get userdata uri: url: [http://169.254.169.254/latest/user-data](http://169.254.169.254/latest/user-data) return\_content: yes register: rawdata - name: Replace hyphen with undserscore since hyphens are not valid in python variables set\_fact: metadata: “{{ rawdata | replace(‘-’,‘\_’) }}” - name: Set userdata fact set\_fact: userdata: “{{ metadata.content.split(‘\n’) }}” - set\_fact: “{{ item.split(‘=’)[0] }}”: “{{ item.split(‘=’)[1] }}” with\_items: “{{ userdata }}” `