# Iterate with variable and items lists in With\_Items **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [November 11, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/iterate-with-variable-and-items-lists-in-with-items/37338 "2022-11-11T20:05:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Emanuel\_Gonzalez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@Emanuel\_Gonzalez](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Emanuel_Gonzalez)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/iterate-with-variable-and-items-lists-in-with-items/37338/1 "2022-11-11T20:05:53Z")
Hello, I hope you can understand what I need, my english is not good, i still learning. I have a variable easyrsa\_clients: - name: ‘{{ client }}’ and this tasks: - name: "Copy files copy: src: ‘{{ item.src }}’ dest: ‘{{ item.dest }}’ with\_items: - { src: ‘{{ easyrsa\_dest }}/easyrsa/pki/private/{{ [item.name](http://item.name) }}.key’, dest: ‘{{ easyrsa\_dest }}/keys’ } - { src: ‘{{ easyrsa\_dest }}/easyrsa/issued/{{ [item.name](http://item.name) }}.crt’, dest: ‘{{ easyrsa\_dest }}/keys’ } I need to be able to interact with the value of the variable easyrsa\_clients within the parameter with\_item. I think I should use [easyrsa\_clients.item.name](http://easyrsa_clients.item.name) but I don’t know. Any ideas?? Regards ---
**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:** [November 12, 2022, 2:24am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/iterate-with-variable-and-items-lists-in-with-items/37338/2 "2022-11-12T02:24:23Z")
You can’t use “item” inside “with\_items:” because “item” is being defined by “with\_items:”. Why don’t you just use “client”: ```auto - name: "Copy files copy: src: '{{ item.src }}' dest: '{{ item.dest }}' with_items: - { src: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/easyrsa/pki/private/{{ client }}.key', dest: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/keys' } - { src: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/easyrsa/issued/{{ client }}.crt', dest: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/keys' } ``` or “easyrsa\_clients.name”? Or is there more to the problem that you’ve shown us? ---
**Author:** ![Emanuel\_Gonzalez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@Emanuel\_Gonzalez](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Emanuel_Gonzalez)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 2:48am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/iterate-with-variable-and-items-lists-in-with-items/37338/3 "2022-11-12T02:48:32Z")
Hello Todd, i try with [easyrsa\_clients.name](http://easyrsa_clients.name) but i see this error: TASK [Probando salida] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! =\> {“msg”: “The task includes an option with an undefined variable. The error was: ‘list object’ has no attribute ‘name’\n\nThe error appears to be in ‘/etc/ansible/openvpn/create\_access\_prod/playbook/list-test.yaml’: line 6, column 7, but may\nbe elsewhere in the file depending on the exact syntax problem.\n\nThe offending line appears to be:\n\n tasks:\n - name: "Probando salida"\n ^ here\n”} PLAY RECAP \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* localhost : ok=0 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=1 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0 How can I use the name key in a with\_items? ---
**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:** [November 12, 2022, 11:17am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/iterate-with-variable-and-items-lists-in-with-items/37338/4 "2022-11-12T11:17:28Z")
Oh, right, because “easyrsa\_clients” is a list, not a dict. So try it with either ```auto - { src: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/easyrsa/pki/private/{{ **client** }}.key', dest: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/keys' } - { src: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/easyrsa/issued/{{ **client** }}.crt', dest: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/keys' } ``` or ```auto - { src: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/easyrsa/pki/private/{{ **easyrsa_clients[0]["name"]** }}.key', dest: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/keys' } - { src: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/easyrsa/issued/{{ **easyrsa_clients[0]["name"]** }}.crt', dest: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/keys' } or - { src: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/easyrsa/pki/private/{{ **easyrsa_clients[0].name** }}.key', dest: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/keys' } - { src: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/easyrsa/issued/{{ **easyrsa_clients[0].name** }}.crt', dest: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/keys' } ``` But I suspect you have bigger plans. Why is easyrsa\_clients a list? Do you intend to add other clients later? In which case, the above isn’t going to work. you need something that will handle a fully articulated set of the data. That’s what I alluded to when I (mis)typed “Or is there more to the problem than you’ve shown us?” Do let us know how you get on. ---
**Author:** ![Walter\_Rowe](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/walter_rowe/32/4506_2.png) [@Walter\_Rowe](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Walter_Rowe)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/iterate-with-variable-and-items-lists-in-with-items/37338/5 "2022-11-14T14:36:45Z")
Make easyrsa\_clients a dict if you really need a dict (remove the dash). > easyrsa\_clients: > name: ‘{{ client }}’ > ```auto > - { src: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/easyrsa/pki/private/{{ **easyrsa_clients["name"]** }}.key', dest: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/keys' } > - { src: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/easyrsa/issued/{{ **easyrsa_clients["name"]** }}.crt', dest: '{{ easyrsa_dest }}/keys' } > > ``` I agree with Todd … just use “client” if you have no other need to use easyrsa\_client. Walter ---
**Author:** ![Emanuel\_Gonzalez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@Emanuel\_Gonzalez](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Emanuel_Gonzalez)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2022, 3:44pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/iterate-with-variable-and-items-lists-in-with-items/37338/6 "2022-11-14T15:44:16Z")
Hello!! thanks for the help. You’re right, it’s a list, not a dictionary. The idea was to generate a variable in the form of a list for cases that I need to create accesses to the VPN to more than one user, with your explanation I could understand my error. Thank you very much.