win_nssm: restore support of string as dict form for app_parameters and remove support of literal YAML dict

lib/ansible/modules/windows/win_nssm.ps1

@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ if (($appParameters -ne $null) -and ($appParametersFree -ne $null))
 {
     Fail-Json $result "Use either app_parameters or app_parameteres_free_form, but not both"
 }
-if (($appParameters -ne $null) -and ($appParameters -isnot [System.Collections.Hashtable])) {
-    Fail-Json -obj $result -message "The app_parameters parameter must be a dict"
+if (($appParameters -ne $null) -and ($appParameters -isnot [string])) {
+    Fail-Json -obj $result -message "The app_parameters parameter must be a string representing a dictionary."
 }
 
 Function Nssm-Invoke
@@ -171,6 +171,20 @@ Function Nssm-Install
      }
 }
 
+Function ParseAppParameters()
+{
+   [CmdletBinding()]
+    param(
+        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
+        [AllowEmptyString()]
+        [string]$appParameters
+    )
+
+    $escapedAppParameters = $appParameters.TrimStart("@").TrimStart("{").TrimEnd("}").Replace("; ","`n").Replace("\","\\")
+
+    return ConvertFrom-StringData -StringData $escapedAppParameters
+}
+
 Function Nssm-Update-AppParameters
 {
     [CmdletBinding()]
@@ -197,22 +211,22 @@ Function Nssm-Update-AppParameters
 
     if ($null -ne $appParameters)
     {
+        $appParametersHash = ParseAppParameters -appParameters $appParameters
         $appParamsArray = @()
-        $appParameters.GetEnumerator() |
-            % {
-                $key = $($_.Name)
-                $val = $($_.Value)
-
-                $appParamKeys += $key
-                $appParamVals += $val
+        $appParametersHash.GetEnumerator() | foreach {
+            $key = $($_.Name)
+            $val = $($_.Value)
 
-                if ($key -ne "_") {
-                    $appParamsArray += $key
-                }
+            $appParamKeys += $key
+            $appParamVals += $val
 
-                $appParamsArray += $val
+            if ($key -ne "_") {
+                $appParamsArray += $key
             }
 
+            $appParamsArray += $val
+        }
+
         $result.nssm_app_parameters_keys = $appParamKeys
         $result.nssm_app_parameters_vals = $appParamVals
 

lib/ansible/modules/windows/win_nssm.py

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ options:
       - Path to receive error output.
   app_parameters:
     description:
-      - Parameters to be passed to the application when it starts.
+      - A string representing a dictionary of parameters to be passed to the application when it starts.
       - Use either this or C(app_parameters_free_form), not both.
   app_parameters_free_form:
     version_added: "2.3.0"
@@ -87,37 +87,25 @@ EXAMPLES = r'''
     application: C:\windows\foo.exe
 
 # Install and start the foo service with a key-value pair argument
-# This will yield the following command: C:\windows\foo.exe bar "true"
+# This will yield the following command: C:\windows\foo.exe -bar true
 - win_nssm:
     name: foo
     application: C:\windows\foo.exe
-    app_parameters:
-      bar: 'true'
-
-# Install and start the foo service with a key-value pair argument, where the argument needs to start with a dash
-# This will yield the following command: C:\windows\\foo.exe -bar "true"
-- win_nssm:
-    name: foo
-    application: C:\windows\foo.exe
-    app_parameters:
-      "-bar": 'true'
+    app_parameters: -bar=true
 
 # Install and start the foo service with a single parameter
 # This will yield the following command: C:\windows\\foo.exe bar
 - win_nssm:
     name: foo
     application: C:\windows\foo.exe
-    app_parameters:
-      _: bar
+    app_parameters: _=bar
 
 # Install and start the foo service with a mix of single params, and key value pairs
-# This will yield the following command: C:\windows\\foo.exe bar -file output.bat
+# This will yield the following command: C:\windows\\foo.exe bar -file output.bat -foo false
 - win_nssm:
     name: foo
     application: C:\windows\foo.exe
-    app_parameters:
-      _: bar
-      "-file": "output.bat"
+    app_parameters: _=bar; -file=output.bat; -foo=false
 
 # Use the single line parameters option to specify an arbitrary string of parameters
 # for the service executable

test/integration/targets/win_nssm/tasks/tests.yml

@@ -187,12 +187,7 @@
   win_nssm:
     name: '{{ test_service_name }}'
     application: C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe
-    app_parameters:
-      foo: true
-      '-file.out': 'output.bat'
-      '-path': 'C:\with space\'
-      '-str': 'test"quotes'
-      _: bar
+    app_parameters: foo=true; -file.out=output.bat; -path=C:\with space\; -str=test"quotes; _=bar
   register: mixed_params
 
 - name: get result of install service with dict parameters
@@ -205,19 +200,14 @@
     - mixed_params.changed == true
     - (mixed_params_actual.stdout|from_json).Exists == true
     - (mixed_params_actual.stdout|from_json).Parameters.Application == "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe"
-    # Expected value: bar -str "test\"quotes" -file.out output.bat foo True -path "C:\with space\\" (backslashes doubled for jinja)
-    - (mixed_params_actual.stdout|from_json).Parameters.AppParameters == 'bar -str "test\\"quotes" -file.out output.bat foo True -path "C:\\with space\\\\"'
+    # Expected value: bar -file.out output.bat -str "test\"quotes" foo true -path "C:\with space\\" (backslashes doubled for jinja)
+    - (mixed_params_actual.stdout|from_json).Parameters.AppParameters == 'bar -file.out output.bat -str "test\\"quotes" foo true -path "C:\\with space\\\\"'
 
 - name: install service with dict parameters (idempotent)
   win_nssm:
     name: '{{ test_service_name }}'
     application: C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe
-    app_parameters:
-      foo: true
-      '-file.out': 'output.bat'
-      '-path': 'C:\with space\'
-      '-str': 'test"quotes'
-      _: bar
+    app_parameters: foo=true; -file.out=output.bat; -path=C:\with space\; -str=test"quotes; _=bar
   register: mixed_params_again
 
 - name: get result of install service with dict parameters (idempotent)
@@ -230,8 +220,8 @@
     - mixed_params_again.changed == false
     - (mixed_params_again_actual.stdout|from_json).Exists == true
     - (mixed_params_again_actual.stdout|from_json).Parameters.Application == "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe"
-    # Expected value: bar -str "test\"quotes" -file.out output.bat foo True -path "C:\with space\\" (backslashes doubled for jinja)
-    - (mixed_params_again_actual.stdout|from_json).Parameters.AppParameters == 'bar -str "test\\"quotes" -file.out output.bat foo True -path "C:\\with space\\\\"'
+    # Expected value: bar -file.out output.bat -str "test\"quotes" foo true -path "C:\with space\\" (backslashes doubled for jinja)
+    - (mixed_params_again_actual.stdout|from_json).Parameters.AppParameters == 'bar -file.out output.bat -str "test\\"quotes" foo true -path "C:\\with space\\\\"'
 
 - name: remove service
   win_nssm: