Avoid getting |- in the output when appending to an existing array.

[larssb]

I have this YAML Array:

vmrules:
  - test-spas-worker-23:
      nets:
        - name: test-spas
          ip: 192.168.88.25
          public: false
      cmds:
        - bash /root/worker.sh --provider azure
        - bash /root/installEtcdctl
      files:
        - path: /root/worker.sh
          currentdir: True
          origin: ~/repo/kubernetes/deploy/bootstrapping/worker.sh
        - path: /var/lib/rancher/audit/audit-policy.yaml
          currentdir: True
          origin: ~/repo/kubernetes/deploy/cluster-configuration/audit-logging/audit-policy.yaml
        - path: /root/installEtcdctl
          currentdir: True
          origin: ~/repo/src/bash/installEtcdctl
        - path: /etc/logrotate.d/rsyslog
          currentdir: True
          origin: ~/repo/kubernetes/deploy/bootstrapping/rsyslog
      tags:
        - ssh-enabled-server
        - test-spas-node

I'm trying to add this yaml block scalar to the vmrules[] Array.

 test-spas-worker-35:
    nets:
      - name: test-spas
        ip: 192.168.88.27
        public: false
    cmds:
      - bash /root/worker.sh --provider azure
      - bash /root/installEtcdctl
    files:
      - path: /root/worker.sh
        currentdir: True
        origin: ~/repo/kubernetes/deploy/bootstrapping/worker.sh
      - path: /var/lib/rancher/audit/audit-policy.yaml
        currentdir: True
        origin: ~/repo/kubernetes/deploy/cluster-configuration/audit-logging/audit-policy.yaml
      - path: /root/installEtcdctl
        currentdir: True
        origin: ~/repo/src/bash/installEtcdctl
      - path: /etc/logrotate.d/rsyslog
        currentdir: True
        origin: ~/repo/kubernetes/deploy/bootstrapping/rsyslog
    tags:
      - ssh-enabled-server
      - test-spas-node

However, when I do so with: yq e --inplace '.vmrules += "'"$testSpasWorker35Yaml"'"' ../test-spas.yml this is the result:

- |- 
  test-spas-worker-35:
      nets:
        - name: test-spas
          ip: 192.168.88.27
          public: false
      cmds:
        - bash /root/worker.sh --provider azure
        - bash /root/installEtcdctl
      files:
        - path: /root/worker.sh
          currentdir: True
          origin: ~/repo/kubernetes/deploy/bootstrapping/worker.sh
        - path: /var/lib/rancher/audit/audit-policy.yaml
          currentdir: True
          origin: ~/repo/kubernetes/deploy/cluster-configuration/audit-logging/audit-policy.yaml
        - path: /root/installEtcdctl
          currentdir: True
          origin: ~/repo/src/bash/installEtcdctl
        - path: /etc/logrotate.d/rsyslog
          currentdir: True
          origin: ~/repo/kubernetes/deploy/bootstrapping/rsyslog
      tags:
        - ssh-enabled-server
        - test-spas-node

---

How can I avoid the |- in the output. When |- is in the output further yq queries no longer act the same, as on entries the vmrules array that DO NOT have |-. E.g. yq '.vmrules[]."test-test-worker-35" is not working. I need this and other of yq type queries to work as they do when the block scalar is not in the output.

I've tried using the ... style = "" option. I've further tried:

• I've been through the different yq operators. But, haven't found one of use in this case ( as far as I can see )
• Tried eval()
• Tried enclosing
• Searched duckduckgo, google and stackoverflow. This GitHub repo/issue and discussions
• Alternatively tried: yq e --inplace '.vmrules |= . + ["'"$testSpasWorker35Yaml"'"']' ../test-spas.yml

---

Further, I've read:

• Append to existing array
• How to update a YAML file with scalar (|-) YAML embedded
• block scalar yq GitHub repo search

---

Please help here. Much appreciated.

Thank you very much.

[larssb]

Hmm investigated and debugged this morning. I found that using the following yq cmd:

envNewNodeYaml="${__newNodeYaml}" yq e --inplace '.vmrules += env(envNewNodeYaml) ' "./myYamlFile"

Avoids the |- in the result of appending the node YAML data in envNewNodeYaml.

Now, I'm curious why it works. As I would like to understand why it does so.

Thank you very much and have a great day.

[mikefarah]

Hey, the original expression you had here:

yq e --inplace '.vmrules += "'"$testSpasWorker35Yaml"'"' ../test-spas.yml

was adding the string encoded yaml contents of $testSpasWorker35Yaml, because it's in quotes. Because it's a big string with newlines, it was using a string block notation to put it in there |-.

The env operator is the correct one to use to interpolate the environment string as yaml. If the contents are coming from a file, you can also do it this way:

yq '.vmrules += load("data.yaml")' ./myYamlyFile