Validate plugin option type 'dict' / 'dictionary' (#71928)

* Validate option type 'dict' / 'dictionary'.

* Add changelog fragment.

* Change type of 'environment' to list.

changelogs/fragments/71928-ensure_type-dict.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+- "plugin option validation - now the option type ``dict``/``dictionary`` is also validated by the config manager (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/71928)."

lib/ansible/config/manager.py

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ except ImportError:
 from ansible.config.data import ConfigData
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleOptionsError, AnsibleError
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text, to_bytes, to_native
-from ansible.module_utils.common._collections_compat import Sequence
+from ansible.module_utils.common._collections_compat import Mapping, Sequence
 from ansible.module_utils.six import PY3, string_types
 from ansible.module_utils.six.moves import configparser
 from ansible.module_utils.parsing.convert_bool import boolean
@@ -144,6 +144,10 @@ def ensure_type(value, value_type, origin=None):
             else:
                 errmsg = 'pathlist'
 
+        elif value_type in ('dict', 'dictionary'):
+            if not isinstance(value, Mapping):
+                errmsg = 'dictionary'
+
         elif value_type in ('str', 'string'):
             if isinstance(value, (string_types, AnsibleVaultEncryptedUnicode)):
                 value = unquote(to_text(value, errors='surrogate_or_strict'))

lib/ansible/plugins/doc_fragments/shell_common.py

@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ options:
     vars:
       - name: ansible_async_dir
   environment:
-    type: dict
-    default: {}
+    type: list
+    default: [{}]
     description:
-      - dictionary of environment variables and their values to use when executing commands.
+      - List of dictionaries of environment variables and their values to use when executing commands.
   admin_users:
     type: list
     default: ['root', 'toor']

lib/ansible/plugins/doc_fragments/shell_windows.py

@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ options:
     - 'no'
   environment:
     description:
-    - Dictionary of environment variables and their values to use when
+    - List of dictionaries of environment variables and their values to use when
       executing commands.
-    type: dict
-    default: {}
+    type: list
+    default: [{}]
 """