[chef] Re: Chef solo setting default values

[Mike < >]

Hi Jan,

This is indeed an interesting question.

I've simulated this in shef, and here's the output: 
http://pastebin.com/SYaGZptX

A few things come to mind.

test2 is an attribute, not a Hash, so accessing it is slightly
different than a hash, as in there is logic inside for things like
@has_been_read, @current_nesting_level.

These probably have to do with "deep merging" of attributes and such,
and calling node[:test2_value2]['name'] seems to create another
attribute, and step into that attribute.

Setting an attribute to a variable, instead of into another attribute
structure, may achieve what you're after. Maybe something like this:

chef:attributes > node[:test3] = {"foo" => "bar"}
 => {"foo"=>"bar"}
chef:attributes > node[:test3].class
 => Chef::Node::Attribute
chef:attributes > my_test_attribute = node[:test3]
 => #<Chef::Node::Attribute @current_automatic=nil, @default={...},
@set_unless_value_present=false, @current_override=nil,
@auto_vivifiy_on_read=false, @automatic={...}, @override={...},
@current_default=nil, @has_been_read=false,
@current_nesting_level=[:test3], @normal={...},
@current_normal={"foo"=>"bar"}, @set_type=nil>
chef:attributes > my_test_attribute.class
 => Chef::Node::Attribute
chef:attributes > my_test_attribute['foo']
 => "bar"
chef:attributes > my_test_attribute['foo']
 => "bar"


Hope this helps,
-Mike


On Wed, Aug 29, 2012 at 3:31 AM, Jan Bares 
<
 >
 wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Can someone help me to understand this strange behaviour? As you can see 
> bellow, value of node[:test_value2]["name"] magically disappears after I 
> reference it for the first time. It should print:
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: [jan] value, value.
> But it prints:
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: [jan] value, .
>
> If this is known limitation of Chef, how can I reuse configuration data 
> without retyping them?
>
> Thanks, Jan
>
> attributes/default.rb
> =====================
> default[:test1] = "test"
> default[:test_value1] = default[:test1]
>
> default[:test2] = {"name" => "value"}
> default[:test_value2] = default[:test2]
>
> recipes/default.rb
> ==================
> Chef::Log.info("[jan] #{node[:test_value1]}, #{node[:test_value1]}.")
> Chef::Log.info("[jan] #{node[:test_value2]["name"]}, 
> #{node[:test_value2]["name"]}.")
>
> Output
> ======
> [2012-08-29T09:25:42+02:00] INFO: *** Chef 10.12.0 ***
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: Setting the run_list to 
> ["recipe[soa::default]
> "] from JSON
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: Run List is [recipe[soa::default]]
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: Run List expands to [soa::default]
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: Starting Chef Run for prgsoa001
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: Running start handlers
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: Start handlers complete.
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: [jan] test, test.
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: [jan] value, .
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: Chef Run complete in 0.010143 seconds
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: Running report handlers
> [2012-08-29T09:25:43+02:00] INFO: Report handlers complete
>
> As you can see, the
>
> Jan Bareš
> Calypso Lead Developer
>
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