ruby - access updated node attributes in cookbook recipe -

i new chef environment. , working on simple cookbook.

to simplify, have following attributes in:

attributes/default.rb:

default[:user1] = "" default[:user2] = "" default[:filename] = "" 

recipes/default.rb: @ run time, filename cookbook , have extract users file.

file = "#{node[:filename]}"  ruby_block 'extract userdata'   block     json = file.read(file)     obj = json.parse(json)      userdata = obj['users']      if userdata.empty?       raise "errors: userdata not available"     else       node.override[:user1] = userdata['user1']       node.override[:user2] = userdata['user2']     end   end   puts "user1: #{node[:user1]}"   puts "user2: #{node[:user2]}"   action :run end 

logs (puts) above block @ runtime fetch me usernames correctly.

now, trying use above 2 updated attributes below in further down cookbook recipe.

user1 = #{node[:user1]} user2 = #{node[:user2]} 

but these 2 values coming out empty if not set/overriden.

please suggest how can updated data.

i'll summarize following answers (which gives views on same problem) , gives example on specific case.

• using ruby block assign variables in chef recipe
• chef recipe execution order

---

you're problem here compile time versus converge time

what happens here recipe , resources evaluated @ compile time , content of ruby_block resource evaluated @ converge time.

there's 2 solutions around this:

• first option run ruby_block @ compile time:

  ruby_block 'extract userdata'   block     json = file.read(file)     obj = json.parse(json)      userdata = obj['users']      if userdata.empty?       raise "errors: userdata not available"     else       node.override[:user1] = userdata['user1']       node.override[:user2] = userdata['user2']     end   end   puts "user1: #{node[:user1]}"   puts "user2: #{node[:user2]}"   action :nothing end.run_action(:run) 

  notice action :nothing avoid resource executed @ converge time , .run_action(:run) tell evaluation run resource it's evaluated.

• second option use lazy evaluation in other resources this:

  execute "do something"   command lazy { "/path/command #{node['user1]}" } end 

  the lazy {} has encompass whole attribute value, not variable or throw error.

i advise preferably use option 2 as possible. doing things @ compile time end in difficult run understand when goes wrong actions taken in 2 different flows.

i recommend using string access node attributes, single quoted when fixed text, double quoted when need interpolation symbols can unexpected behaviors if attribute name match existing symbol in recipe dsl namespace.