# new warning in Ansible 2.3

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-warning-in-ansible-2-3/24330>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [April 26, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-warning-in-ansible-2-3/24330 "2017-04-26T17:23:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PhilEv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@PhilEv](https://forum.ansible.com/u/PhilEv)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-warning-in-ansible-2-3/24330/1 "2017-04-26T17:23:19Z")

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The warning is:

[WARNING]: when statements should not include jinja2 templating delimiters such as {{ }} or {% %}.

Not sure how to avoid it in the below case. Any hint ?

See [https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/22397](https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/22397). Sorry for commenting in a closed issue

consider the following variable:

```auto
to_be_removed_users:
  - name: 'adm'
    remove: False 
  - name: 'ftp'
    remove: True
  - name: 'games'
    remove: False  
  - name: 'gopher'
    remove: True
  - name: 'operator'
    remove: False
  - name: 'uucp'
    remove: True

```

then the following tasks generate the warning. Not sure how to avoid it as [item.name](http://item.name) is the result of iteration on the list

```auto
name: Get users list 
 getent: 
   database: passwd
 tags:
   - userdel

- name: Make sure the following users are removed
 user: 
   name: "{{ [item.name](http://item.name) }}"
   state: absent 
   remove: "{{item.remove}}"
 with_items: '{{ to_be_removed_users }}'
 when: getent_passwd.{{ [item.name](http://item.name) }} is defined
 tags:
   - userdel

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Josh\_Smift1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@Josh\_Smift1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Josh_Smift1)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-warning-in-ansible-2-3/24330/2 "2017-04-26T17:28:44Z")

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> Not sure how to avoid it in the below case. Any hint ?

I often find it helps to use the more Pythonic expression of the  
variables, thing['foo'][bar], so you can tell that 'foo' is a literal  
string and bar is a variable, rather than the sloppy thing.foo.bar, where  
you can't.

So instead of

&nbsp;&nbsp;when: getent\_passwd.{{ item.name }} is defined

try

&nbsp;&nbsp;when: getent\_passwd[item['name']] is defined

I'm not 100% sure that's the problem you're having, but if it is, does  
that work?

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-Josh (jbs@care.com)

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**Author:** ![sivel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/sivel/32/1198_2.png) [@sivel](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sivel)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-warning-in-ansible-2-3/24330/3 "2017-04-26T17:32:26Z")

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Technically, while what you have there worked, it’s not recommended.

Instead what you want, is something like:

when: hostvars[inventory\_hostname][‘getent\_passwd’][[item.name](http://item.name)] is defined

Or potentially:

when: vars[‘getent\_passwd’][‘[item.name](http://item.name)’] is defined

When you use {{ }} a jinja2 statement, it can create unintended consequences, because the when statement and the {{ }} you put in the when statement are evaluated at different times, and can actually cause Undefined errors.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sivel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/sivel/32/1198_2.png) [@sivel](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sivel)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-warning-in-ansible-2-3/24330/4 "2017-04-26T17:33:09Z")

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Yeah, or what Josh said too 🙂

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**Author:** ![PhilEv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@PhilEv](https://forum.ansible.com/u/PhilEv)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 8:07am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-warning-in-ansible-2-3/24330/5 "2017-04-27T08:07:57Z")

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Thanks Matt and Josh

using the below works perfectly

> when: getent\_passwd[item[‘name’]] is defined

So this addressed the warning ansible2.3.0 was reporting and  
I also got a better understanding about why to avoid jinja in when statement

Phil