using tabs within block for ansible blockinfile module

Question

using tabs within block for ansible blockinfile module

I want to output some text with tab as separator using ansible

here’s task snippet

- name: Create output file
  blockinfile:
    block: |
      Some texttmore text
    path: '{{ playbook_dir }}/output.txt'
    create: true

CURRENT OUTPUT

# BEGIN ANSIBLE MANAGED BLOCK
Some texttmore text
# END ANSIBLE MANAGED BLOCK

DESIRED

# BEGIN ANSIBLE MANAGED BLOCK
Some text   more text
# END ANSIBLE MANAGED BLOCK

Asked By: Sollosa

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Source

Answer 1

The YAML blocks preserve TAB. You have to use an editor that doesn’t replace TAB with spaces. I used vi in the below example. The value of str2 are spaces closed with ‘0’. The value of str3 are 2 TAB(s) closed with ‘0’ (copy&paste here removed the TAB(s) of course).

- hosts: localhost

  vars:

    str1: |
      01234567890
    str2: |
      0         0
    str3: |
      0         0

  tasks:

    - debug:
        msg:
          str1 {{ str1|length }} {{ str1 }}
          str2 {{ str2|length }} {{ str2 }}
          str3 {{ str3|length }} {{ str3 }}

gives abridged

  msg: |-
    str1 12 01234567890
    str2 12 0         0
    str3 5 0               0

Answered By: Vladimir Botka