# Role namespacing directories vs. dot notation

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/role-namespacing-directories-vs-dot-notation/16977>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [December 5, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/role-namespacing-directories-vs-dot-notation/16977 "2014-12-05T22:30:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mirko\_Friedenhagen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Mirko\_Friedenhagen](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Mirko_Friedenhagen)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/role-namespacing-directories-vs-dot-notation/16977/1 "2014-12-05T22:30:30Z")

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Hello,

when you have a lot of roles, it might be feasible give them a  
structure. What's the preferred way in ansible?  
Using directory hierarchies like roles/fizz/buzz or dots roles/fizz.buzz?

Regards Mirko

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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:** [December 5, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/role-namespacing-directories-vs-dot-notation/16977/2 "2014-12-05T22:36:01Z")

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Dot notation is currently used by Galaxy, however the namespaces there are typically usernames.

Ansible doesn’t necessarily support nested role directories like you mention, so I am going to stick with dot notation.

It’s really just a directory name with a period in it at that point.

To reference it, you need to use the full dot notated name such as “fizz.buzz”

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**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan1](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan1)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/role-namespacing-directories-vs-dot-notation/16977/3 "2014-12-06T01:58:23Z")

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“Ansible doesn’t necessarily support nested role directories like you mention, so I am going to stick with dot notation.”

Ansible can check out role paths anywhere you want, you’ll just have to configure the roles path in ansible.cfg OR stick the “/” in there when referring to the role name.

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**Author:** ![Mirko\_Friedenhagen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Mirko\_Friedenhagen](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Mirko_Friedenhagen)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 9:58am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/role-namespacing-directories-vs-dot-notation/16977/4 "2014-12-06T09:58:06Z")

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Thanks for the answers.  
Regards Mirko