Annotate more files, fix missing imports messing with playbooks. Hey Tim, please test your stuff :)

bin/ansible-playbook

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import sys
 import ansible.playbook
 import ansible.constants as C
 from ansible.utils import *
+from ansible.errors import *
 import getpass
 from optparse import OptionParser
 
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ def main(args):
         try:
             pb.run()
         except AnsibleError as e:
-            print e
+            print >>sys.stderr, "ERROR: %s" % e
             return 1
 
     return 0

examples/base.yml

@@ -1,7 +1,22 @@
 ---
+
+# this is the example of an included tasks file.  It contains a flat list of tasks
+# they can notify other tasks, and have full access to variables from 'vars'
+# or 'vars_files' directives.  Further, if ohai or facter were installed on 
+# the remote machines, variables from those tools can be accessed on the 'action'
+# line or in templates.  Just prefix with 'facter_' or 'ohai_' before the particular
+# variable.
+
+# possible uses for a included yaml file might be to represent a 'class' of a system
+# like defining what makes up a webserver, or you might have a common 'base.yml'
+# (like this) that might be applied to all your systems as well.
+
 - name: no selinux
   action: command /usr/sbin/setenforce 0
+
 - name: no iptables
   action: service name=iptables state=stopped
-- name: this is just to show variables work here, favcolor={{ favcolor }}
-  action: command /bin/true
+
+- name: made up task just to show variables work here
+  action: command /bin/echo release is {{ release }}
+

examples/foo.j2

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# This is a very simple Jinja2 template representing an imaginary configuration file
+# for an imaginary app.
+
+http_port={{ http_port }}

examples/handlers.yml

@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 ---
+
+# this is an example to show that handlers can be included from yaml files,
+# to promote reuse between different plays or even playbooks.  They work
+# just like normal handlers.
+
 - name: restart apache
   action: service name=httpd state=restarted
 - name: restart memcached

examples/playbook2.yml

@@ -1,24 +1,89 @@
 ---
-- hosts: '*'
+# see examples.yml first!
+# This file explains some more advanced features of playbooks.  
+# because of the comments it's less concise than it normally is.  But feel
+# free to comment your playbooks if you like.
+
+- hosts: dbservers
+
+  # we can define variables the normal way...
+
   vars:
-    a: 2
-    b: 3
-    c: 4
+    release: 2.0
+
+  # but they can also come from other files.  This can be a relative
+  # or absolute path.  This is a good way to store 'secret' variable
+  # files but still keep the playbook in public source control
+
+  vars_files:
+    - external_vars.yml
+
+  # as with before, every play has a list of tasks in it
+
   tasks:
-  - name: copy comand
-    action: copy src=/srv/a dest=/srv/b
-    notify: 
-    - restart apache
-  - name: template step
-    action: template src=/srv/template.j2 dest=/srv/file.out
-    notify:
-    - restart apache
-  - name: execute bin false
-    comment: call something that will fail just to demo failure counts and such
-    action: command /bin/false
-  - name: execute bin true
-    comment: this will never be executed because previous will fail
+
+  # tasks can be written the normal way...
+
+  - name: arbitrary command
     action: command /bin/true
+
+  # or we can promote reuse and simplicity by including tasks
+  # from other files, for instance, to reuse common tasks
+
+  - include: base.yml
+
+  # we could also have done something like:
+  # - include: wordpress.yml user=timmy
+  # and had access to the template variable {{ user }} in the 
+  # included file, if we wanted to.  Variables from vars
+  # and vars_files are also available inside include files
+
   handlers:
-    - name: restart apache
-      action: service name=httpd state=restarted
+ 
+    # handlers can also be included from files, to promote reuse
+    # and simpler recipes, you may wish to only have one
+    # handler file for all your plays and playbooks
+
+    - include: handlers.yml
+
+    # you can mix things that are directly in the file with things
+    # that are included.  Order is executed as written, but only
+    # handlers that have been notified get executed
+
+    - name: restart foo
+      action: service name=foo state=restarted
+
+# ===============================================================
+
+# Here's a second play in the same playbook.  This will be run
+# after the first playbook completes on all hosts.  You may want
+# a different play for each class of systems, or may want a different
+# play for each stage in a complex multi-node deployment push
+# process.  How you use them are up to you.
+
+# any play in a playbook can be executed by a user other than root
+# if you want.  sudo support is coming too.
+
+- hosts: webservers
+  user: mdehaan
+
+  # vars must be specified again for the next play in the playbook
+  # but can be reused by including from vars_files if you want
+  # you can use vars, vars_files, or both.  vars_files overrides
+  # those set in vars. 
+
+  vars:
+     release: 2.0
+  vars_files:
+     - external_vars.yml
+
+
+  # these all runs as the user 'mdehaan'.  If there were any handlers
+  # they would as well.
+
+  tasks:
+
+     - name: some random command
+       action: command /bin/true
+
+

lib/ansible/playbook.py

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import ansible.runner
 import ansible.constants as C
 from ansible.utils import *
+from ansible.errors import *
 import yaml
 import shlex
 import os
@@ -87,6 +88,8 @@ class PlayBook(object):
 
     def _get_vars(self, play, dirname):
         vars = play.get('vars', {})
+        if type(vars) != dict:
+            raise AnsibleError("'vars' section must contain only key/value pairs")
         vars_files = play.get('vars_files', [])
         for f in vars_files:
             path = path_dwim(dirname, f)

lib/ansible/runner.py

@@ -429,7 +429,10 @@ class Runner(object):
         # find hosts that match the pattern
         hosts = self.match_hosts(self.pattern)
         if len(hosts) == 0:
-            return None       
+            return {
+                'contacted' : {},
+                'dark'      : {}
+            }
 
         # attack pool of hosts in N forks
         # _executor_hook does all of the work