Here's one solution. It uses backrefs and a negative lookahead assertion.
- name: Test lineinfile
hosts: localhost
gather_facts: false
tasks:
- name: Create a file to work on
ansible.builtin.copy:
content: |
First line of a file
Second line of the same file
This is a file and I am editing it. Extra Stuff!
Fourth line of this file
dest: /tmp/textfile.txt
- name: Show the file content
ansible.builtin.debug:
msg: "{{ lookup('file', '/tmp/textfile.txt') }}"
- name: Insert "new" before "file" in the 3rd line
ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
path: /tmp/textfile.txt
regexp: '(This is a )(?!>new)(file and I am editing it\..*)'
backrefs: true
line: '\1new \2'
- name: Show the file content a 2nd time
ansible.builtin.debug:
msg: "{{ lookup('file', '/tmp/textfile.txt') }}"
- name: Second identical lineinfile should not make changes
ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
path: /tmp/textfile.txt
regexp: '(This is a )(?!>new)(file and I am editing it\..*)'
backrefs: true
line: '\1new \2'
- name: Show the file content a 3nd time
ansible.builtin.debug:
msg: "{{ lookup('file', '/tmp/textfile.txt') }}"
On 7/27/23 9:13 AM, Kathy L wrote:
I am trying to edit a string in a multi-line file. For instance, if I
had this string:
This is a file and I am editing it
I want to add the string "new" in front of file /if/ it does not exist
already.
I've tried lineinfile, but the issue is that I don't know what else is
on the line. There could be more data after "This is a file and I am
editing it" that I don't want to change. What is the best way to do this?
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