# Using special characters in strings

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/using-special-characters-in-strings/34497>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [January 22, 2021, 11:06pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/using-special-characters-in-strings/34497 "2021-01-22T23:06:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Subhi\_Andrews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Subhi\_Andrews](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Subhi_Andrews)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 11:06pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/using-special-characters-in-strings/34497/1 "2021-01-22T23:06:14Z")

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I am trying use ‘\*’ as a value for the domain parameter in this module  
[https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/community/general/pam\_limits\_module.html](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/community/general/pam_limits_module.html)

It just keeps saying I am missing quotes around the star character.

I have tried using “{{”_“}}”, “{{”\*“}}”, "_", “\*” etc. with no avail. My playbook looks like this:

_-name: update soft nproc limits.conf_  
_community.general.pam\_limits:_  
_domain: “{{”\*"}}_  
_limit\_type: soft_  
_limit\_item: nproc_  
_value: 204800_

Could someone guide me in the right direction?  
Thank you very much,  
S

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Subhi\_Andrews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Subhi\_Andrews](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Subhi_Andrews)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 11:22pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/using-special-characters-in-strings/34497/2 "2021-01-22T23:22:02Z")

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This is resolved. I had an unquoted star character elsewhere in the playbook that was causing the problem.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dick\_Visser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@Dick\_Visser](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dick_Visser)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 6:27am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/using-special-characters-in-strings/34497/3 "2021-01-23T06:27:37Z")

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But those braces look wrong.  
I know you got it to work but it could still be wrong and cause problems elsewhere.

What does your task look like now?