[FIXED] 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. the goal is not really to select it but to set the 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 the vip dance is necessary because Vim puts the '} 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. If '} was put on the last line of the paragraph, it would be a lot simpler:

:g/when/t'}

but it's not so here we are.

Answered By - romainl