filter_names does not document or gracefully handle spaces

[jeffcpullen]

SUMMARY

The _info modules provide a method of filtering names but will fail on names that contain a space. If the module does not gracefully handle names with spaces it should at least be documented how names should be written to be tolerated by the modules. Adding a '%20' in place of a space seems to make the module function as expected.

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

vmware.vmware_rest.vcenter_datacenter_info

ANSIBLE VERSION

$ ansible --version
ansible [core 2.12.3]
  config file = /Users/jpullen/.ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/Users/jpullen/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /Users/jpullen/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /usr/local/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.9.13 (main, May 24 2022, 21:28:31) [Clang 13.1.6 (clang-1316.0.21.2)]
  jinja version = 3.0.3
  libyaml = True

COLLECTION VERSION

Collection         Version
------------------ -------
vmware.vmware_rest 2.2.0 

CONFIGURATION

$ ansible-config dump --only-changed
DEFAULT_HOST_LIST(/Users/jpullen/.ansible.cfg) = ['/Users/jpullen/inventory/hosts']
HOST_KEY_CHECKING(/Users/jpullen/.ansible.cfg) = False

OS / ENVIRONMENT

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

vars:
  vcenter_config_datacenter: "Homelab DC"
tasks:
- name: List datacenters
  vmware.vmware_rest.vcenter_datacenter_info:
    filter_names:
      # fails to return any results
      - "{{ vcenter_config_datacenter }}"
      # Replace blank spaces with %20 to make this work (shown in line below)
      # - "{{ vcenter_config_datacenter | replace(' ', '%20') }}"
  register: my_datacenters

- name: Debug datacenter info
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: my_datacenters

EXPECTED RESULTS

TASK [create_vsphere_vm : Debug datacenter info] *******************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "my_datacenters": {
        "changed": false,
        "failed": false,
        "value": [
            {
                "datacenter": "datacenter-3",
                "name": "Homelab DC"
            }
        ]
    }
}

ACTUAL RESULTS

If the user leaves any values without spaces using a _info module it will fail to filter. Quotes and backslashes will not work. Only adding the '%20' to the variables will result in the expected results.

TASK [create_vsphere_vm : Debug datacenter info] *******************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "my_datacenters": {
        "changed": false,
        "failed": false,
        "value": []
    }
}

[rit001]

If someone does look at resolving this issue can they please make sure that they retain support for %20 being used instead of a space. Now that the current workaround/limitation/design feature is known I like others will be coding scripts using %20 and it will be a problem if a future update goes and breaks the scripts.

[jeffcpullen]

By the way, my initial work around was fine for spaces but wouldn't handle other special characters that might cause issues with a url. I've switched to using the urlencode filter to be more comprehensive.

filter_names:
      - "{{ create_vsphere_vm_cluster | urlencode }}"

[rit001]

As the person who first raised this, thanks to everyone for firstly a workaround and then secondly a final fix.

[rit001]

Just as a follow-up as I've just started to update systems. The old matching of %20 to a space has not been retained after a fix was put in place to allow the correct matching of spaces.

The result is a change to the historic way in which this works.