# Parse complex data in ansible **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Tags:** collections\ **Created:** [July 2, 2024, 9:23am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parse-complex-data-in-ansible/6964 "2024-07-02T09:23:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neha001](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/neha001/32/4049_2.png) [@Neha001](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Neha001)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 9:23am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parse-complex-data-in-ansible/6964/1 "2024-07-02T09:23:17Z")
I have fetched data from remote firewall device using ssh in ansible . I got the context data in stdout\_lines in below format.I wanted to form a dict mapped with first and 3rd item in string.How to achieve so?Please help - my code! ```auto Example Output of show context in ansible from remote cisco asa fw device stdout_lines: [ [ "Context Name Class Interfaces Mode. URL" " TD-BW-SNSL-Workplace default Port-channel1.2345, " Routed disk0:/ " Port-channel10.2298-" " 2299, Port-," " channel20.2229 " ] ] How can I get the context name and interface from this data in ansible? ``` ---
**Author:** ![mikemorency](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/mikemorency/32/2672_2.png) [@mikemorency](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mikemorency)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 1:02pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parse-complex-data-in-ansible/6964/2 "2024-07-02T13:02:57Z")
The data youve provided is invalid yaml/json, and seems to be irregular as a table (theres no clear correlation between columns in each row). Can you try to provide a better example? As youve posted it, I dont think you can parse it really. If we clean it up a bit: ```auto # vars.yml stdout_lines: [ [ "Context Name Class Interfaces Mode. URL", "TD-BW-SNSL-Workplace default Port-channel1.2345, Routed disk0:/", "c2 default Port-channel10.2298 Routed disk0:/", ], ] ``` Then this playbook parses it: ```auto - hosts: localhost gather_facts: false vars_files: - vars.yml tasks: - set_fact: s: "{{ (stdout_lines)[0] }}" - set_fact: contexts: >- {{ (contexts | default([])) + [ item.split()[0] | trim | trim(',') ] }} interfaces: >- {{ (interfaces | default([])) + [ item.split()[2] | trim | trim(',') ] }} loop: "{{ s }}" when: not item.startswith('Context Name') - debug: var: contexts - debug: var: interfaces - debug: var: contexts | zip(interfaces) | community.general.dict ``` Heres the (partial) output ```auto TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ok: [mikemorency] => { "contexts": [ "TD-BW-SNSL-Workplace", "c2" ] } TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ok: [mikemorency] => { "interfaces": [ "Port-channel1.2345", "Port-channel10.2298" ] } TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ok: [mikemorency] => { "contexts | zip(interfaces) | community.general.dict": { "TD-BW-SNSL-Workplace": "Port-channel1.2345", "c2": "Port-channel10.2298" } } ``` ---
**Author:** ![mikemorency](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/mikemorency/32/2672_2.png) [@mikemorency](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mikemorency)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parse-complex-data-in-ansible/6964/5 "2024-07-02T14:07:27Z")
> [@Neha001](#): > > Is there a way I can parse below data and include the remaining port channel from separate string to first row Im not sure I understand, is this the value you want? ```auto [ "Port-channel1.2345", "Port-channel10.2298-2299", "Port-channel20.2229" ] ``` ---
**Author:** ![mikemorency](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/mikemorency/32/2672_2.png) [@mikemorency](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mikemorency)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parse-complex-data-in-ansible/6964/8 "2024-07-02T14:27:27Z")
I see. This is a very challenging data format. It might be easier to look at ways to get better input data formats instead of parsing this. Would you have a case where there are multiple contexts? Like ```auto TD-BW-SNSL-Workplace TD-BW-SNSL-Workplace1 TD-BW-SNSL-Workplace2 ``` ---
**Author:** ![mikemorency](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/mikemorency/32/2672_2.png) [@mikemorency](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mikemorency)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parse-complex-data-in-ansible/6964/10 "2024-07-02T15:35:00Z")
OK, really messy but here it is: ```auto # vars.yml context_names: [ " ST-BW-SNSL-OPG-COMMSEE default Port-channel1.2345, Routed disk0:/ST-BW-SNSL-OPG-COMMSEE.cfg", " Port-channel10.2006-", " 2007,Port- ", " channel20.2224 ", " ST-BW-SNSL-COMMSEC-NONPROD default Port-channel1.2345, Routed disk0:/ST-BW-SNSL-COMMSEC-NONPROD.cfg", " Port-channel10.2273-", " 2276,Port- ", " channel20.2223 ", " ST-BW-SNSL-CYBERARK default Port-channel1.2345, Routed disk0:/ST-BW-SNSL-CYBERARK.cfg", " Port-channel10.2272,", " Port-channel20.2222 ", " ST-BW-SNSL-NON-STOP default Port-channel1.2345, Routed disk0:/ST-BW-SNSL-NON-STOP.cfg", " Port-channel10.2041-", " 2054,2108-2115,Port-", " channel20.2227 ", " ST-BW-SNSL-ENTERPRISE-MF default Port-channel1.2345, Routed disk0:/ST-BW-SNSL-ENTERPRISE-MF.cfg", " Port-channel10.2283,", " Port-channel20.2226 ", " ST-BW-SNSL-DOT default Port-channel1.2345, Routed disk0:/ST-BW-SNSL-DOT.cfg", " Port-channel10.2279-", " 2282,2284-2287,Port-", " channel20.2225 ", " ST-BW-SNSL-Internet-Browsing default Port-channel1.2345, Routed disk0:/ST-BW-SNSL-Internet-Browsing.cfg", " Port-channel10.1568,", " 1570,Port- ", " channel20.2228 ", " TD-BW-SNSL-Workplace default Port-channel1.2345, Routed disk0:/TD-BW-SNSL-Workplace.cfg", " Port-channel10.2298-", " 2299,Port- ", " channel20.2229 ", "", "Total active Security Contexts: 9", ] ``` ```auto # playbook.yml - hosts: localhost gather_facts: false vars_files: - vars.yml tasks: - set_fact: context_indices: "{{ context_indices | default([]) + [idx] }}" when: item is search('^ \w') or not item loop: "{{ context_names }}" loop_control: index_var: idx - set_fact: context_groups: >- {{ context_groups | default([]) + [context_names[context_indices[idx]:context_indices[idx+1]]] }} when: context_indices[idx+1] is defined loop: "{{ context_indices }}" loop_control: index_var: idx - set_fact: contexts: "{{ contexts | default([]) + [(item | first | split())[0] | trim()] }}" port_channel_first: >- {{ port_channel_first | default([]) + [(item | first | split())[2] | trim()] }} port_channel_other: >- {{ port_channel_other | default([]) + [(item[1:] | map('trim') | join()) | default([])] }} loop: "{{ context_groups }}" - set_fact: port_channels: >- {{ port_channel_first | zip(port_channel_other) | map('join') | map('split', ',') }} - set_fact: context_port_channel_map: >- {{ contexts | zip(port_channels) | community.general.dict }} - debug: var: context_port_channel_map ``` Outputs: ```auto TASK [debug] *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ok: [mikemorency] => { "context_port_channel_map": { "ST-BW-SNSL-COMMSEC-NONPROD": [ "Port-channel1.2345", "Port-channel10.2273-2276", "Port-channel20.2223" ], "ST-BW-SNSL-CYBERARK": [ "Port-channel1.2345", "Port-channel10.2272", "Port-channel20.2222" ], "ST-BW-SNSL-DOT": [ "Port-channel1.2345", "Port-channel10.2279-2282", "2284-2287", "Port-channel20.2225" ], "ST-BW-SNSL-ENTERPRISE-MF": [ "Port-channel1.2345", "Port-channel10.2283", "Port-channel20.2226" ], "ST-BW-SNSL-Internet-Browsing": [ "Port-channel1.2345", "Port-channel10.1568", "1570", "Port-channel20.2228" ], "ST-BW-SNSL-NON-STOP": [ "Port-channel1.2345", "Port-channel10.2041-2054", "2108-2115", "Port-channel20.2227" ], "ST-BW-SNSL-OPG-COMMSEE": [ "Port-channel1.2345", "Port-channel10.2006-2007", "Port-channel20.2224" ], "TD-BW-SNSL-Workplace": [ "Port-channel1.2345", "Port-channel10.2298-2299", "Port-channel20.2229" ] } } ``` ---
**Author:** ![mikemorency](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/mikemorency/32/2672_2.png) [@mikemorency](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mikemorency)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 6:43pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/parse-complex-data-in-ansible/6964/13 "2024-07-02T18:43:54Z")
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