[SOLVED] How to copy one key:value one block underneath and repeat this for each following blocks?

Issue

I have a yaml file where i need to copy a key:value (when: var) to the task underneath and need to repeat that for each block.

How it looks like now:

- set_fact: something
- set_fact: var_a
- task: do the foo
  when: var_a
- task: do the goo

- set_fact: something
- set_fact: var_b
- task: do the fofo
  when: var_b
- task: do the gogp

- set_fact: something
- set_fact: var_c
- task: do the fooolo
  when: var_c
- task: do the gooolo

How i need it to look like:

- set_fact: something
- set_fact: var_a
- task: do the foo
  when: var_a
- task: do the goo
  when: var_a

- set_fact: something
- set_fact: var_b
- task: do the fofo
  when: var_b
- task: do the gogp
  when: var_b

- set_fact: something
- set_fact: var_c
- task: do the fooolo
  when: var_c
- task: do the gooolo
  when: var_c

From researching how to do this, i think a vim loop could do that but i have no clue how to do that. In case anybody has any hints, i'd be very grateful.

Edit: What i tried. With this i captured the values i needed. (the var_ values)

grep -e set_fact -B1 filterlist_playbook.yml|grep -e "^.*\:"|grep -v "set\_fact\:"|awk -F":" '{print $1}'

I tried this in two different ways.

1 first add the "when:" field and then copy/paste the var_ value Adding the when: field was ok with sed. Pasting the right value sequentially... i do not find info how to do that, my colleagues also do not know.

2 copy/paste the "when: var_" value to the block underneath. Again capturing the right value is ok with sed, pasting it sequentially leaves me scratching my head and googling into oblivion.

Note: I will definitely select a working answer but its taking me time to try each one of them.

Solution

Here is how I would do it in Vim:

:g/when/normal mzvip^[:'zt'>^M

with ^[ obtained with <C-v><Esc> and ^M obtained with <C-v><CR>.

Breakdown:

• :g/<pattern>/<command> executes <command> on every line that matches <pattern>.
• :normal xxx executes normal commands from command-line mode.
• mz puts mark 'z on the matched line.
• vip visually selects the current paragraph, placing mark '> on its last line.
• <Esc> leaves visual mode.
• :'zt'> copies line with mark 'z below line with mark '>.
• <CR> executes that last command.

See :help :global, :help :normal, :help mark-motions, :h :t, and :h :range.

Note that, intuitively, using mark '} like this:

:g/when/t'}

looks like it would solve the problem neatly, but Vim puts mark '} on the first blank line after an actual paragraph, which doesn't help us since our anchor is the last line of the actual paragraph.

That is one of the reasons why the vip dance is necessary: we need a mark on the last line of the paragraph, not after it, and visually selecting the "inner paragraph" does just that with mark '>.

Answered By - romainl

Answer Checked By - Pedro (WPSolving Volunteer)