# json\_query & regular expression **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [April 12, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/json-query-regular-expression/32658 "2020-04-12T04:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kiran\_Kumar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@Kiran\_Kumar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kiran_Kumar)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/json-query-regular-expression/32658/1 "2020-04-12T04:26:28Z")
In jason query how can i add regular expression ? eg if have vm1, vm2,vm3 below query can be adjusted ? eg query: “[?guest\_name == ‘vm\*’]” , seems does not work in below case [https://jmespath.org/specification.html#filterexpressions](https://jmespath.org/specification.html#filterexpressions) i tried few things but no luck Thanks ---
**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 5:01am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/json-query-regular-expression/32658/2 "2020-04-12T05:01:47Z")
Filter "selectattr" should do the job. For example     - debug:         msg: "{{ item.ip\_address }}"       loop: "{{ vm\_facts|                 selectattr('guest\_name', 'match', '^vm1$')|                 list }}"     - debug:         msg: "{{ item.ip\_address }}"       loop: "{{ vm\_facts|                 selectattr('guest\_name', 'match', '^vm(.\*)$')|                 list }}" I'm not aware of regex in JMESPath. [https://jmespath.readthedocs.io/en/latest/](https://jmespath.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) HTH,   -vlado ---
**Author:** ![Kiran\_Kumar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@Kiran\_Kumar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kiran_Kumar)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 6:35am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/json-query-regular-expression/32658/3 "2020-04-12T06:35:16Z")
Thanks for the Reply Valdo I get error TASK [debug] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! =\> {“msg”: “‘str object’ has no attribute ‘guest\_name’”} ---
**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 7:01am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/json-query-regular-expression/32658/4 "2020-04-12T07:01:07Z")
> I get error > TASK [debug] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\> fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! =\> {"msg": "'str object' has no attribute > 'guest\_name'"} Take a look at the structure of "vm\_fact" and fix it. If you still have issues post:     - debug:         var: vm\_fact ---
**Author:** ![Kiran\_Kumar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@Kiran\_Kumar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kiran_Kumar)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 7:26am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/json-query-regular-expression/32658/5 "2020-04-12T07:26:39Z")
Thanks for your reply Valdo. This is a JSON output { “attributes”: {}, “cluster”: “xx”, “esxi\_hostname”: “xx”, “guest\_fullname”: “Microsoftxx”, “guest\_name”: “xx”, “ip\_address”: “xx”, “mac\_address”: [ “xx” ], “power\_state”: “poweredOn”, “tags”: , “uuid”: “xx”, “vm\_network”: { “xx”: { “ipv4”: [ “xx” ], “ipv6”: } I am reading about - selectattr - as i am new to this. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 11:56am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/json-query-regular-expression/32658/6 "2020-04-12T11:56:31Z")
There shouldn't be any problem with the dictionary "vm\_facts" you posted. The attribute "guest\_name" is in place. I can't explain the error. It's up to you to fix the JSON paths. ---
**Author:** ![Akasurde](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/akasurde/32/230_2.png) [@Akasurde](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Akasurde)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 4:01pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/json-query-regular-expression/32658/7 "2020-04-12T16:01:33Z")
I would do this in a simpler way - - name: Gather all VMs information vmware\_vm\_info: hostname: ‘{{ vcenter\_hostname }}’ username: ‘{{ vcenter\_username }}’ password: ‘{{ vcenter\_password }}’ validate\_certs: no register: vm\_facts delegate\_to: localhost - debug: msg: “{{ item.ip\_address }}” loop: “{{ vm\_facts.virtual\_machines }}” when: - item.guest\_name | regex\_search(‘^vm’) ---
**Author:** ![Akasurde](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/akasurde/32/230_2.png) [@Akasurde](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Akasurde)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/json-query-regular-expression/32658/8 "2020-04-12T16:04:38Z")
Even this works for me - notice `vm_facts.virtual_machines` - debug: msg: “{{ item.ip\_address }}” loop: “{{ vm\_facts.virtual\_machines | selectattr(‘guest\_name’, ‘match’, ‘^vm(.\*)$’)| list }}” ---
**Author:** ![Kiran\_Kumar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@Kiran\_Kumar](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Kiran_Kumar)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/json-query-regular-expression/32658/9 "2020-04-12T21:08:57Z")
Thanks Abhijeet & Valdo for your time to check. This works !