# include when foo\['bar'\] is defined **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [March 23, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/include-when-foo-bar-is-defined/17817 "2015-03-23T19:45:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bret\_Martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@Bret\_Martin](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Bret_Martin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/include-when-foo-bar-is-defined/17817/1 "2015-03-23T19:45:03Z")
I have a number of plays like - include: data-importer.yml when: instances[‘data-importer’] is defined that no longer work after a recent Ansible upgrade. The include occurs even when instances[‘data-importer’] is not set. I tracked the behavior change down to between 1.8.1 and 1.8.2. Is this supposed to still work? ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/include-when-foo-bar-is-defined/17817/2 "2015-03-23T19:46:24Z")
The include should always happen, the when: should be applied to the included tasks and these should be skipped. ---
**Author:** ![Bret\_Martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@Bret\_Martin](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Bret_Martin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/include-when-foo-bar-is-defined/17817/3 "2015-03-23T19:58:31Z")
Thanks for the quick reply. That is definitely the behavior I've seen previously. Looking closer after your description of what happens, I note that the included tasks are being skipped. The failure is happening on a task that uses with\_items, where the with\_items line refers to the variable tested in the include/when. Playbook/parent file: - include: data-importer.yml   when: instances['data-importer'] is defined Included file 1: - include: instance-common.yml            description="Data Importer"            instance=data-importer Included file 2: - name: create {{ description }} instance   ec2:     [...]   with\_items: instances[instance]["hostname"] With this arrangement, I get TASK: [aws-ec2 | create Data Importer instance] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* fatal: [aws-vpc-hbi16058] =\> with\_items expects a list or a set So my problem seems to be specific to with\_items and skipped tasks. --Bret ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/include-when-foo-bar-is-defined/17817/4 "2015-03-23T20:10:22Z")
when won't prevent with\_items from evaluating, since the when: can include the 'item' variable to be conditional per iteration. Add a ---
**Author:** ![Bret\_Martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@Bret\_Martin](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Bret_Martin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/include-when-foo-bar-is-defined/17817/5 "2015-03-23T20:15:47Z")
Thanks again. I tried changing the play in the innermost file (actually, before I even started this thread) to - name: create {{ description }} instance   ec2:     [...]   with\_items: instances[instance]["hostname"] | default() but the result is the same: TASK: [aws-ec2 | create Data Importer instance] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* fatal: [aws-vpc-hbi16058] =\> with\_items expects a list or a set --Bret