# Passing a '(' in a variable string **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [October 21, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/passing-a-in-a-variable-string/31498 "2019-10-21T16:34:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stephen\_Feyrer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Stephen\_Feyrer](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Stephen_Feyrer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/passing-a-in-a-variable-string/31498/1 "2019-10-21T16:34:22Z")
Hi there, I have a password vault and a script to which I am passing a password. The vault looks kind of like this: ` ---
**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:** [October 21, 2019, 5:51pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/passing-a-in-a-variable-string/31498/2 "2019-10-21T17:51:35Z")
Use "quote" filter [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/devel/user\_guide/playbooks\_filters.html#id8](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/devel/user_guide/playbooks_filters.html#id8)     - name: my-script       script: My-Script.ps1 -secret {{ vault\_password|quote }} Cheers,   -vlado ---
**Author:** ![Stephen\_Feyrer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Stephen\_Feyrer](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Stephen_Feyrer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 7:24am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/passing-a-in-a-variable-string/31498/3 "2019-10-23T07:24:26Z")
Hi Vlado, Apologies for the delayed reply. Unfortunately, that hasn’t worked. In the documentation that you linked to, that syntax is described in connection with the shell operator rather than the script. I tried this: ` - name: my-script script: My-Script.ps1 -secret {{ vault\_password | quote }} ` and ` - name: my-script script: My-Script.ps1 -secret {{ vault\_password | join(“”) }} ` Both produced the same result as before. Thank you. ---
**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:** [October 23, 2019, 8:07am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/passing-a-in-a-variable-string/31498/4 "2019-10-23T08:07:18Z")
Hi Stephen, > \> \> vault\_password: abc(123 > \> \> tasks: > \> \> - name: my-script > \> \> script: My-Script.ps1 -secret {{ vault\_password }} > \> \> > \> \> (Missing closing ')' in expression.:String) > \> > \> Use "quote" filter > \> [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/devel/user\_guide/playbooks\_filters.html#id8](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/devel/user_guide/playbooks_filters.html#id8) > \> > \> - name: my-script > \> script: My-Script.ps1 -secret {{ vault\_password|quote }} > Apologies for the delayed reply. Unfortunately, that hasn't worked. In > the documentation that you linked to, that syntax is described in > connection with the shell operator rather than the script. > > I tried this: > - name: my-script >       script: My-Script.ps1 -secret {{ vault\_password | quote }} > and > - name: my-script >       script: My-Script.ps1 -secret {{ vault\_password | join("") }} > Both produced the same result as before. This is strange. It works for me.     $ cat my-script.sh     #!/bin/sh     echo $1     exit 0          $ cat play.yml     - hosts: localhost       vars:         vault\_password: abc(123       tasks:         - script: 'my-script.sh {{ vault\_password|quote }}'           register: result         - debug:             var: result.stdout          $ ansible-playbook play.yml     [...]     ok: [localhost] =\> {         "result.stdout": "abc(123\n"     } Without quoted argument I see this error: fatal: [localhost]: FAILED! =\> {"changed": true, "msg": "non-zero return code", "rc": 2, "stderr": "/bin/sh: 1: Syntax error: \"(\" unexpected\n", "stderr\_lines": ["/bin/sh: 1: Syntax error: \"(\" unexpected"], "stdout": "", "stdout\_lines": } Cheers,   -vlado ---
**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:** [October 23, 2019, 8:19am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/passing-a-in-a-variable-string/31498/5 "2019-10-23T08:19:34Z")
The error "Missing closing ')'..." is very probably reported by the script. Find out how to pass the argument to the script from the command-line before you proceed with Ansible. Cheers,   -vlado ---
**Author:** ![Stephen\_Feyrer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Stephen\_Feyrer](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Stephen_Feyrer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 8:51am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/passing-a-in-a-variable-string/31498/6 "2019-10-23T08:51:26Z")
Hi Vlado, You are right, it is the Powershell parameter interpretation. I have previously tried quoting in the Ansible playbook like: ` - name: my-script script: My-Script.ps1 -svc\_password ‘{{ vault\_password }}’ ` and ` - name: my-script script: My-Script.ps1 -svc\_password “{{ vault\_password }}” ` Neither of these worked. Per your suggestion I tried: ` - name: my-script script: My-Script.ps1 -svc\_password {{ ‘vault\_password’ }} ` This worked, I’ll admit, I’m a little surprised. I have to do some reading on Jinja2. Thank you! ---
**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:** [October 23, 2019, 9:32am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/passing-a-in-a-variable-string/31498/7 "2019-10-23T09:32:06Z")
Hi Stephen, >     - name: my-script >       script: My-Script.ps1 -svc\_password '{{ vault\_password }}' > > and >     - name: my-script >       script: My-Script.ps1 -svc\_password "{{ vault\_password }}" Quoting from \*Gotchas\*: "If your value starts with a quote the entire value must be quoted, not just part of it..." [https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference\_appendices/YAMLSyntax.html#gotchas](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference_appendices/YAMLSyntax.html#gotchas) Correct syntax is     - name: my-script       script: 'My-Script.ps1 -svc\_password {{ vault\_password }}' and     - name: my-script       script: "My-Script.ps1 -svc\_password {{ vault\_password }}" >     - name: my-script >       script: My-Script.ps1 -svc\_password {{ 'vault\_password' }} > > This worked, I'll admit, I'm a little surprised... I'm surprised too. In my case     - script: my-script.sh {{ 'vault\_password' }}       register: result the result was     ok: [localhost] =\> {     "result.stdout": "vault\_password\n"     } Cheers,   -vlado ---
**Author:** ![Stephen\_Feyrer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Stephen\_Feyrer](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Stephen_Feyrer)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 10:31am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/passing-a-in-a-variable-string/31498/8 "2019-10-24T10:31:42Z")
Hi Vlado, That does make more sense. Thank you.