add "Make a list of the RELEASE macros" NOT GOOD USE of ansible!

_ansible/group_vars/all.yml

@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 # paths
 epics_folder: /epics
 support_folder: /epics/support
+configure_folder: "{{support_folder}}/configure"
+modules_file: "{{configure_folder}}/MODULES"
+release_file: "{{configure_folder}}/RELEASE"
+release_shell_file: "{{configure_folder}}/RELEASE.shell"
 rutime_folder: /epics/runtime
 ibek_defs_folder: /epics/ibek_defs
 autosave_folder: /epics/autosave

_ansible/roles/support/tasks/main.yml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 - name: Setup Configure/RELEASE
   ansible.builtin.include_tasks: release.yml
-  tags: [configure]
+  tags: [release]
 
 - name: Build
   ansible.builtin.include_tasks: build.yml

_ansible/roles/support/tasks/release.yml

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
     create: true
     mode: "0644"
+  tags: [release]
 
 - name: Add this module to the global configure/RELEASE
   ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
@@ -15,10 +16,72 @@
     line: "{{ macro }} = {{ local_path }}"
     create: true
     mode: "0644"
+  tags: [release]
 
+- name: Make a list of the RELEASE macros (because a list is ordered)
+  # slightly stretching fair use of ansible here :-)
+  tags: [release]
+  block:
+    - name: Read the RELEASE file
+      ansible.builtin.copy:
+        src: "{{ release_file }}"
+        dest: /tmp/release
+        mode: "0644"
 
-# - name: Remove unwanted Macros from global configure/RELEASE
+    - name: Remove non macro lines
+      ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
+        path: "{{ release_file }}"
+        dest: /tmp/release
+        # remove lines lines without '='
+        regexp: "^[^=]*$"
+        state: absent
+
+    - name: Create a dictionary for each support module
+      ansible.builtin.replace:
+        path: /tmp/release
+        # look for lines with '=' not starting with # and make them a dictionary
+        regexp: "^(?!#)(.*) *= *(.*)$"
+        replace: "- macro: \\1\n  path: \\2"
+
+    - name: Insert the root key
+      ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
+        path: /tmp/release
+        line: "release:"
+        insertbefore: BOF
+
+    - name: Load the RELEASE file
+      ansible.builtin.include_vars:
+        file: /tmp/release
+        name: release
+
+    - name: Trim extra keys
+      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+        releases: "{{ release.release }}"
+
+    - name: Debug
+      ansible.builtin.debug:
+        var: releases
+
+- name: Make the RELEASE.shell file
+  ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
+    path: "{{ release_shell_file }}"
+    mode: "0644"
+    line: "export {{ item.macro }}=\"{{ item.path }}\""
+    regexp: "export *{{ item.macro }} *=.*$"
+  loop: "{{ releases }}"
+  tags: [release]
+
+- name: Add EPICS_DB_INCLUDE_PATH to RELEASE.shell file
+  ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
+    path: "{{ release_shell_file }}"
+    mode: "0644"
+    line: "export {{ item.macro }}=\"{{ item.path }}\""
+    regexp: "export *{{ item.macro }} *=.*$"
+  loop: "{{ releases }}"
+  tags: [release]
+
+# TODO this one is harder as required running map functions over the list
+# but in truth we never use this file (it is for the root Makefile which I never use)
+# - name: Make the MODULES file
 #   ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
-#     path: "{{ support_folder }}/configure/RELEASE"
-#     regexp: "^{{ item }}.*=.*"
-#     line: "{{ item }} ="
+

ansible.sh

@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ if [[ -n $module_version ]]; then
     vers="-e version=${module_version}"
 fi
 
+if [[ $ANSIBLE_TAGS ]]; then
+    tags=" --tags ${ANSIBLE_TAGS}"
+    echo "limiting ansible run to tags: ${ANSIBLE_TAGS}"
+fi
+
 this_dir=$(dirname $0)
 cd $this_dir
 
@@ -20,5 +25,6 @@ path=${module_name}/${module_name}.yml
 ansible-playbook \
     _ansible/support_playbook.yml \
     -i _ansible/hosts.yml \
-    -e @${path} ${vers}
+    -e @${path} ${vers} \
+    ${tags}