feat(ansible): expand templated loop sources

executor.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"io/fs"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
@@ -867,7 +868,7 @@ func (e *Executor) runLoop(ctx context.Context, host string, client sshExecutorC
 	} else if task.WithTogether != nil {
 		items, err = e.resolveWithTogetherLoop(task.WithTogether, host, task)
 	} else {
-		items = e.resolveLoop(task.Loop, host)
+		items = e.resolveLoopWithTask(task.Loop, host, task)
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -2461,6 +2462,10 @@ func (e *Executor) handleLookup(expr string) string {
 
 // resolveLoop resolves loop items.
 func (e *Executor) resolveLoop(loop any, host string) []any {
+	return e.resolveLoopWithTask(loop, host, nil)
+}
+
+func (e *Executor) resolveLoopWithTask(loop any, host string, task *Task) []any {
 	switch v := loop.(type) {
 	case []any:
 		return v
@@ -2471,10 +2476,17 @@ func (e *Executor) resolveLoop(loop any, host string) []any {
 		}
 		return items
 	case string:
+		if items, ok := e.resolveLoopExpression(v, host, task); ok {
+			return items
+		}
+
 		// Template the string and see if it's a var reference
-		resolved := e.templateString(v, host, nil)
-		if val, ok := e.vars[resolved]; ok {
-			if items, ok := val.([]any); ok {
+		resolved := e.templateString(v, host, task)
+		if items, ok := anySliceFromValue(e.vars[resolved]); ok {
+			return items
+		}
+		if task != nil {
+			if items, ok := anySliceFromValue(task.Vars[resolved]); ok {
 				return items
 			}
 		}
@@ -2482,6 +2494,65 @@ func (e *Executor) resolveLoop(loop any, host string) []any {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (e *Executor) resolveLoopExpression(loop string, host string, task *Task) ([]any, bool) {
+	expr, ok := extractSingleTemplateExpression(loop)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
+	if value, ok := e.lookupConditionValue(expr, host, task, nil); ok {
+		if items, ok := anySliceFromValue(value); ok {
+			return items, true
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil, false
+}
+
+func extractSingleTemplateExpression(value string) (string, bool) {
+	re := regexp.MustCompile(`^\s*\{\{\s*(.+?)\s*\}\}\s*$`)
+	match := re.FindStringSubmatch(value)
+	if len(match) < 2 {
+		return "", false
+	}
+
+	inner := strings.TrimSpace(match[1])
+	if inner == "" {
+		return "", false
+	}
+
+	return inner, true
+}
+
+func anySliceFromValue(value any) ([]any, bool) {
+	switch v := value.(type) {
+	case nil:
+		return nil, false
+	case []any:
+		return append([]any(nil), v...), true
+	case []string:
+		items := make([]any, len(v))
+		for i, item := range v {
+			items[i] = item
+		}
+		return items, true
+	}
+
+	rv := reflect.ValueOf(value)
+	if !rv.IsValid() {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	if rv.Kind() != reflect.Slice && rv.Kind() != reflect.Array {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
+	items := make([]any, rv.Len())
+	for i := 0; i < rv.Len(); i++ {
+		items[i] = rv.Index(i).Interface()
+	}
+	return items, true
+}
+
 // matchesTags checks if task tags match execution tags.
 func (e *Executor) matchesTags(taskTags []string) bool {
 	// Tasks tagged "always" should run even when an explicit include filter is

executor_test.go

@@ -1574,6 +1574,31 @@ func TestExecutor_ResolveLoop_Good_Nil(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, items)
 }
 
+func TestExecutor_RunTaskOnHost_Good_LoopFromTemplatedListVariable(t *testing.T) {
+	e := NewExecutor("/tmp")
+	e.vars["items"] = []any{"alpha", "beta"}
+	e.clients["host1"] = NewMockSSHClient()
+
+	task := &Task{
+		Name:   "Templated list loop",
+		Module: "debug",
+		Args: map[string]any{
+			"msg": "{{ item }}",
+		},
+		Loop:     "{{ items }}",
+		Register: "loop_result",
+	}
+
+	err := e.runTaskOnHosts(context.Background(), []string{"host1"}, task, &Play{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	result := e.results["host1"]["loop_result"]
+	require.NotNil(t, result)
+	require.Len(t, result.Results, 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, "alpha", result.Results[0].Msg)
+	assert.Equal(t, "beta", result.Results[1].Msg)
+}
+
 // --- templateArgs ---
 
 func TestExecutor_TemplateArgs_Good(t *testing.T) {

modules_infra_test.go

@@ -581,15 +581,12 @@ func TestModulesInfra_ResolveLoop_Good_VarReference(t *testing.T) {
 	e := NewExecutor("/tmp")
 	e.vars["my_list"] = []any{"item1", "item2", "item3"}
 
-	// When loop is a string that resolves to a variable containing a list
+	// A templated loop source should resolve to the underlying list value.
 	items := e.resolveLoop("{{ my_list }}", "host1")
-	// The template resolves "{{ my_list }}" but the result is a string representation,
-	// not the original list. The resolveLoop handles this by trying to look up
-	// the resolved value in vars again.
-	// Since templateString returns the string "[item1 item2 item3]", and that
-	// isn't a var name, items will be nil. This tests the edge case.
-	// The actual var name lookup happens when the loop value is just "my_list".
-	assert.Nil(t, items)
+	require.Len(t, items, 3)
+	assert.Equal(t, "item1", items[0])
+	assert.Equal(t, "item2", items[1])
+	assert.Equal(t, "item3", items[2])
 }
 
 func TestModulesInfra_ResolveLoop_Good_MixedTypes(t *testing.T) {