Ansible output extract package version using jq - json

Question

I have below json output from ansible, I want to parse this file using jq. I want to match packages name GeoIP and print version number.
How can I use jq to get this version number for matching package name? looking output like this
"GeoIP","1.5.0"
sample ansible output
{
"ansible_facts.packages": {
"GConf2": [
{
"arch": "x86_64",
"epoch": null,
"name": "GConf2",
"release": "8.el7",
"source": "rpm",
"version": "3.2.6"
}
],
"GeoIP": [
{
"arch": "x86_64",
"epoch": null,
"name": "GeoIP",
"release": "14.el7",
"source": "rpm",
"version": "1.5.0"
}
],
"ImageMagick": [
{
"arch": "x86_64",
"epoch": null,
"name": "ImageMagick",
"release": "18.el7",
"source": "rpm",
"version": "6.7.8.9"
}
],
}
}

Answer 1

First, make the source valid json by removing the comma in the third to last row.
With that done, we can start at the end and work back. The desired output can be produced using jq's #csv format. That, in turn, requires that the output is in an array. (See the section of the manual titled "Format strings and escaping".) So we need to get the data to look like this.
jq -r '["GeoIP","1.5.0"] | #csv'
One way to do that is to put each item in its own array and add the arrays together. (See the section titled "Addition".)
jq -r '["GeoIP"] + [.[] | .GeoIP[].version] | #csv'
Since map(x) is defined as [.[] | x], you can say this instead.
jq -r '["GeoIP"] + map(.GeoIP[].version) | #csv'
You can use a variable to specify the package name you want like this.
jq -r --arg "package" "GeoIP" '[$package] + map(.[$package][].version) | #csv'
Update
My original solution has unnecessary steps. The array can be made like this.
jq -r '[ "GeoIP", .[].GeoIP[].version ] | #csv'
Or, using a variable
jq -r --arg "package" "GeoIP" '[$package,(.[] | .[$package][].version)]| #csv'

Answer 2

Q: "How can I use jq to get the version number for matching package name?"
A: Try the script below
$ cat print-version.sh
#!/bin/sh
cat output.json | jq ".ansible_facts.packages.$1 | .[].version"
For example
$ print-version.sh GeoIP
"1.5.0"
Improved version of the script
Quoting the comment: "Using the shell's string interpolation as done here is risky and generally regarded as an "anti-pattern". – peak"
The improved script below does the job
$ cat print-version.sh
#!/bin/sh
cat output.json | jq ".ansible_facts.packages.$1[].version"
output.json
{
"ansible_facts": {
"packages": {
"GConf2": [
{
"arch": "x86_64",
"epoch": null,
"name": "GConf2",
"release": "8.el7",
"source": "rpm",
"version": "3.2.6"
}
],
"GeoIP": [
{
"arch": "x86_64",
"epoch": null,
"name": "GeoIP",
"release": "14.el7",
"source": "rpm",
"version": "1.5.0"
}
],
"ImageMagick": [
{
"arch": "x86_64",
"epoch": null,
"name": "ImageMagick",
"release": "18.el7",
"source": "rpm",
"version": "6.7.8.9"
}
]
}
}
}

Answer 3

I assume you want to get a loop over all key-values attributes in the ansible_facts.packages, so it's recommended to use a Bash loop to iterate over it. Also the sample contents of the JSON you provided don't compile, I removed the comma 3 rows from the end.
You need one jq to get all the keys of the ansible_facts.packages and then in each iteration to get the version of the given key (package).
To get all the keys:
[http_offline#greenhat-30 tmp]$ cat file.json | jq '."ansible_facts.packages" | keys[]'
"GConf2"
"GeoIP"
"ImageMagick"
[http_offline#greenhat-30 tmp]$
Loop:
for package in `cat file.json | jq '."ansible_facts.packages" | keys[]'`
do
VERSION=`cat file.json | jq ".\"ansible_facts.packages\".$package[0].version"`
echo "$package,$VERSION"
done
Sample run:
[http_offline#greenhat-30 tmp]$ for package in `cat file.json | jq '."ansible_facts.packages" | keys[]'`
> do
> VERSION=`cat file.json | jq ".\"ansible_facts.packages\".$package[0].version"`
> echo "$package,$VERSION"
> done
"GConf2","3.2.6"
"GeoIP","1.5.0"
"ImageMagick","6.7.8.9"
[http_offline#greenhat-30 tmp]$