[chef] Re: Re: [Chef] Write current date to template, when it changes

["John E. Vincent (lusis)" < >]

On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 10:19 AM, Bryan McLellan 
<
 >
 wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 6, 2012 at 9:29 AM,  
> <
 >
>  wrote:
>> I want to write a cookbook for a bind. My problem is, that I don't know 
>> how I  can generate the timestamp (serial) without changing the template 
>> everytime.
>
> The template provider renders the template to disk and then compares
> it with the existing file using a checksum. Thus you can't easily do
> this.
>
> One solution could be to set the time field in the template to a
> static placeholder like TIME_BASED_SERIAL and set the template path to
> a temporary directory near the real file. Then create an execute or
> ruby_block resource with its default action set to nothing. Have it
> replace that value with a generated time and move the file into the
> production location. Notify this resource from the template resource
> and then notify the reload of the service with this one.
>
<snip>
> Bryan

I wonder if it's not time for a new convenience construct that
understands incrementing counters like that. Zone serials are the only
place I can think of immediately where this is helpful but I'm sure
others have more use cases.

Maybe something even more generic. Do notifications for templates
work? The end result here (and I'm typing this for MY benefit to think
about it) is that the template construct either needs to understand
subtleties around content vs. header? This might just need to be an
LWRP that tracks the serial via a data bag somewhere?