What are Ansible module attributes?

Question

Each Ansible module's documentation page has an "Attributes" section.

For example, here is the one for the command module. It has these attributes: check_mode, diff_mode, platform and raw.

In general, how do I use a module's attributes?

And in this particular example, what is the platform attribute and how do I use it?

Answer 1

What are Ansible module attributes?

These are documentation only. They describe some of the capabilities and properties of the module.

I know for example that check_mode and diff_mode correspond to CLI switches.

They mean only that the module which was developed has implemented the capabilities to use check_mode or diff_mode. In other words, they state only if check_mode or diff_mode "are supported" by the module and if you can take advantage of Using check mode or Using diff mode.

So I assume that I can "use" the platform attribute as well,

No, as it states only for which target platform the module was developed. An attribure platform: posix means you can't use the module on Windows.

Some background information can be found within the Developer Guide of the Ansible documentation.

• Ansible module architecture
• Developing modules

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I'd like to know whether I can ... run a task that only targets certain OSs.

For such Use Case it is recommended to use Ansible facts and Conditionals based on ansible_facts, specifically os_family.

Some References

for Windows targets ...

• Ansible Issue #50601 - "ansible_os_family ... when Windows ..."
• Ansible Issue #57485 - "ansible_os_family condition ..."