Allow the group_vars and host_vars directories to be stored alongside the playbook as well as inventory.

bin/ansible-playbook

@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ def main(args):
     # run all playbooks specified on the command line
     for playbook in args:
 
+        # let inventory know which playbooks are using so it can know the basedirs
+        inventory.set_playbook_basedir(os.path.dirname(playbook))
+
         stats = callbacks.AggregateStats()
         playbook_cb = callbacks.PlaybookCallbacks(verbose=utils.VERBOSITY)
         if options.step:

lib/ansible/inventory/__init__.py

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class Inventory(object):
 
     __slots__ = [ 'host_list', 'groups', '_restriction', '_also_restriction', '_subset', 
                   'parser', '_vars_per_host', '_vars_per_group', '_hosts_cache', '_groups_list',
-                  '_vars_plugins']
+                  '_vars_plugins', '_playbook_basedir']
 
     def __init__(self, host_list=C.DEFAULT_HOST_LIST):
 
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ class Inventory(object):
         self._hosts_cache    = {}
         self._groups_list    = {} 
 
+        # to be set by calling set_playbook_basedir by ansible-playbook
+        self._playbook_basedir = None
+
         # the inventory object holds a list of groups
         self.groups = []
 
@@ -372,3 +375,16 @@ class Inventory(object):
         if not self.is_file():
             return None
         return os.path.dirname(self.host_list)
+
+    def playbook_basedir(self):
+        """ returns the directory of the current playbook """
+        return self._playbook_basedir
+
+    def set_playbook_basedir(self, dir):
+        """ 
+        sets the base directory of the playbook so inventory plugins can use it to find
+        variable files and other things. 
+        """
+        self._playbook_basedir = dir
+
+

lib/ansible/inventory/vars_plugins/group_vars.py

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# (c) 2012, Michael DeHaan <michael.dehaan@gmail.com>
+# (c) 2012-2013, Michael DeHaan <michael.dehaan@gmail.com>
 #
 # This file is part of Ansible
 #
@@ -23,45 +23,90 @@ import ansible.constants as C
 
 class VarsModule(object):
 
+    """
+    Loads variables from group_vars/<groupname> and host_vars/<hostname> in directories parallel
+    to the inventory base directory or in the same directory as the playbook.  Variables in the playbook
+    dir will win over the inventory dir if files are in both.
+    """
+
     def __init__(self, inventory):
+
+        """ constructor """
+
         self.inventory = inventory
 
     def run(self, host):
-        # return the inventory variables for the host
+
+        """ main body of the plugin, does actual loading """
 
         inventory = self.inventory
-        #hostrec = inventory.get_host(host)
+        self.pb_basedir = inventory.playbook_basedir()
 
+        # sort groups by depth so deepest groups can override the less deep ones
         groupz = sorted(inventory.groups_for_host(host.name), key=lambda g: g.depth)
         groups = [ g.name for g in groupz ]
-        basedir = inventory.basedir()
-
-        if basedir is None:
-            # could happen when inventory is passed in via the API
-            return
+        inventory_basedir = inventory.basedir()
 
         results = {}
+        scan_pass = 0
 
-        # load vars in inventory_dir/group_vars/name_of_group
+        # look in both the inventory base directory and the playbook base directory
+        for basedir in [ inventory_basedir, self.pb_basedir ]:
+
+
+            # this can happen from particular API usages, particularly if not run
+            # from /usr/bin/ansible-playbook
+            if basedir is None:
+                continue
+
+            scan_pass = scan_pass + 1
+
+            # it's not an eror if the directory does not exist, keep moving
+            if not os.path.exists(basedir):
+                continue
+
+            # save work of second scan if the directories are the same
+            if inventory_basedir == self.pb_basedir and scan_pass != 1:
+                continue
+
+            # load vars in dir/group_vars/name_of_group
             for x in groups:
+
                 p = os.path.join(basedir, "group_vars/%s" % x)
+
+                # the file can be <groupname> or end in .yml or .yaml
+                # currently ALL will be loaded, even if more than one
                 paths = [p, '.'.join([p, 'yml']), '.'.join([p, 'yaml'])]
+
                 for path in paths:
+
                     if os.path.exists(path) and not os.path.isdir(path):
                         data = utils.parse_yaml_from_file(path)
                         if type(data) != dict:
                             raise errors.AnsibleError("%s must be stored as a dictionary/hash" % path)
+
+                        # combine vars overrides by default but can be configured to do a hash
+                        # merge in settings
+
                         results = utils.combine_vars(results, data)
 
+            # group vars have been loaded
             # load vars in inventory_dir/hosts_vars/name_of_host
+            # these have greater precedence than group variables
+
             p = os.path.join(basedir, "host_vars/%s" % host.name)
+
+            # again allow the file to be named filename or end in .yml or .yaml
             paths = [p, '.'.join([p, 'yml']), '.'.join([p, 'yaml'])]
+
             for path in paths:
+
                 if os.path.exists(path) and not os.path.isdir(path):
                     data = utils.parse_yaml_from_file(path)
                     if type(data) != dict:
                         raise errors.AnsibleError("%s must be stored as a dictionary/hash" % path)
                     results = utils.combine_vars(results, data)
 
+        # all done, results is a dictionary of variables for this particular host.
         return results