Repository: kubesphere/kubekey

Issue:
【v4.x 】Unpredictable errors may occur if file definitions are referenced multiple times in a file.
### What is version of KubeKey has the issue?

v4.x

### What is your os environment?

all

### KubeKey config file

```yaml

```

### A clear and concise description of what happend.

if defined the value in files like:
```yaml
a1: b1
a2: |
 {{- a1 -}}
a3: {{ a2 }}
```
it need two times to convert variable. but Map in golang is unordered. so it will have two results.
1. first convert
```yaml
a1: b1
a2: |
{{ - a1 -}}
a3: {{- a1 -}}
```
second convert
```
a1: b1
a2: b1
a3:b1
```
it's not a yaml format.
2. first convert
```yaml
a1: b1
a2: b1
a3: {{ a2 }}
```
second convert
```yaml
a1: b1
a2: b1
a3: b1
```
it's the correct yaml format

### Relevant log output

```shell

```

### Additional information

_No response_

Discussion:

Solution patch:
diff --git a/.golangci.yaml b/.golangci.yaml
index 42bf6e6c..e7096b4e 100644
--- a/.golangci.yaml
+++ b/.golangci.yaml
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ linters:
     - nakedret
     - nestif
     # - nilerr
-    - nilnil
-    - nlreturn
+    # - nilnil
+    # - nlreturn
     - noctx
     - nolintlint
     - nonamedreturns
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ linters-settings:
 #      # https://github.com/mgechev/revive/blob/master/RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md#enforce-map-style
       - name: enforce-map-style
         severity: warning
-        disabled: false
+        disabled: true
         exclude: [""]
         arguments:
           - "make"
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ linters-settings:
 #      # https://github.com/mgechev/revive/blob/master/RULES_DESCRIPTIONS.md#enforce-slice-style
       - name: enforce-slice-style
         severity: warning
-        disabled: false
+        disabled: true
         exclude: [""]
         arguments:
           - "make"
diff --git a/api/project/v1/base.go b/api/project/v1/base.go
index 275670bd..3f39994b 100644
--- a/api/project/v1/base.go
+++ b/api/project/v1/base.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 package v1
 
+import "gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+
 // Base defined in project.
 type Base struct {
 	Name string `yaml:"name,omitempty"`
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ type Base struct {
 	RemoteUser string `yaml:"remote_user,omitempty"`
 
 	// variables
-	Vars map[string]any `yaml:"vars,omitempty"`
+	Vars yaml.Node `yaml:"vars,omitempty"`
 
 	// module default params
 	//ModuleDefaults []map[string]map[string]any `yaml:"module_defaults,omitempty"`
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 15c61d5c..845280cb 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.31.0
-	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1
 	k8s.io/api v0.31.3
 	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.31.3
@@ -146,6 +145,7 @@ require (
 	gopkg.in/evanphx/json-patch.v4 v4.12.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/inf.v0 v0.9.1 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/warnings.v0 v0.1.2 // indirect
+	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0 // indirect
 	k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver v0.31.3 // indirect
 	k8s.io/cluster-bootstrap v0.31.3 // indirect
 	k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20240228011516-70dd3763d340 // indirect
diff --git a/pkg/converter/converter.go b/pkg/converter/converter.go
index b881a063..61bce8fa 100644
--- a/pkg/converter/converter.go
+++ b/pkg/converter/converter.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json"
@@ -149,3 +150,19 @@ func ConvertKKClusterToInventoryHost(kkcluster *capkkinfrav1beta1.KKCluster) (kk
 
 	return inventoryHosts, nil
 }
+
+// ConvertMap2Node converts a map[string]any to a yaml.Node by first marshaling to YAML bytes
+// then unmarshaling into a Node. This allows working with the YAML node structure directly.
+func ConvertMap2Node(m map[string]any) (yaml.Node, error) {
+	data, err := yaml.Marshal(m)
+	if err != nil {
+		return yaml.Node{}, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to marshal map to yaml")
+	}
+	var node yaml.Node
+	err = yaml.Unmarshal(data, &node)
+	if err != nil {
+		return yaml.Node{}, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to unmarshal yaml to node")
+	}
+
+	return node, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/executor/task_executor.go b/pkg/executor/task_executor.go
index 2955cab9..ee44ace6 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/task_executor.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/task_executor.go
@@ -20,11 +20,13 @@ import (
 	ctrlclient "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 
 	_const "github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/const"
+	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/converter"
 	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/converter/tmpl"
 	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/modules"
 	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/variable"
 )
 
+// taskExecutor handles the execution of a single task across multiple hosts.
 type taskExecutor struct {
 	*option
 	task *kkcorev1alpha1.Task
@@ -34,7 +36,8 @@ type taskExecutor struct {
 	taskRunTimeout time.Duration
 }
 
-// Exec and store Task
+// Exec creates and executes a task, updating its status and the parent playbook's status.
+// It returns an error if the task creation or execution fails.
 func (e *taskExecutor) Exec(ctx context.Context) error {
 	// create task
 	if err := e.client.Create(ctx, e.task); err != nil {
@@ -141,7 +144,7 @@ func (e *taskExecutor) runTaskLoop(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 }
 
-// execTask
+// execTask executes the task across all specified hosts in parallel and updates the task status.
 func (e *taskExecutor) execTask(ctx context.Context) {
 	// check task host results
 	wg := &wait.Group{}
@@ -165,7 +168,8 @@ func (e *taskExecutor) execTask(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
-// execTaskHost deal module in each host parallel.
+// execTaskHost handles executing a task on a single host, including variable setup,
+// condition checking, and module execution. It runs in parallel for each host.
 func (e *taskExecutor) execTaskHost(i int, h string) func(ctx context.Context) {
 	return func(ctx context.Context) {
 		// task result
@@ -208,28 +212,13 @@ func (e *taskExecutor) execTaskHost(i int, h string) func(ctx context.Context) {
 		// execute module in loop with loop item.
 		// if loop is empty. execute once, and the item is null
 		for _, item := range e.dealLoop(had) {
-			// set item to runtime variable
-			if err := e.variable.Merge(variable.MergeRuntimeVariable(map[string]any{
-				_const.VariableItem: item,
-			}, h)); err != nil {
-				stderr = fmt.Sprintf("set loop item to variable error: %v", err)
-
-				return
-			}
-			e.executeModule(ctx, e.task, h, &stdout, &stderr)
-			// delete item
-			if err := e.variable.Merge(variable.MergeRuntimeVariable(map[string]any{
-				_const.VariableItem: nil,
-			}, h)); err != nil {
-				stderr = fmt.Sprintf("clean loop item to variable error: %v", err)
-
-				return
-			}
+			e.executeModule(ctx, e.task, item, h, &stdout, &stderr)
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-// execTaskHostLogs logs for each host
+// execTaskHostLogs sets up and manages progress bar logging for task execution on a host.
+// It returns a cleanup function to be called when execution completes.
 func (e *taskExecutor) execTaskHostLogs(ctx context.Context, h string, stdout, stderr *string) func() {
 	// placeholder format task log
 	var placeholder string
@@ -287,26 +276,62 @@ func (e *taskExecutor) execTaskHostLogs(ctx context.Context, h string, stdout, s
 	}
 }
 
-// executeModule find register module and execute it in a single host.
-func (e *taskExecutor) executeModule(ctx context.Context, task *kkcorev1alpha1.Task, host string, stdout, stderr *string) {
-	// get all variable. which contains item.
+// executeModule executes a single module task on a specific host. It handles setting up loop item variables,
+// retrieving host variables, checking failure conditions, and executing the actual module.
+func (e *taskExecutor) executeModule(ctx context.Context, task *kkcorev1alpha1.Task, item any, host string, stdout, stderr *string) {
+	// Set loop item variable if one was provided
+	if item != nil {
+		// Convert item to runtime variable
+		node, err := converter.ConvertMap2Node(map[string]any{_const.VariableItem: item})
+		if err != nil {
+			*stderr = fmt.Sprintf("convert loop item error: %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+
+		// Merge item into host's runtime variables
+		if err := e.variable.Merge(variable.MergeRuntimeVariable(node, host)); err != nil {
+			*stderr = fmt.Sprintf("set loop item to variable error: %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+
+		// Clean up loop item variable after execution
+		defer func() {
+			if item == nil {
+				return
+			}
+			// Reset item to null
+			resetNode, err := converter.ConvertMap2Node(map[string]any{_const.VariableItem: nil})
+			if err != nil {
+				*stderr = fmt.Sprintf("convert loop item error: %v", err)
+				return
+			}
+			if err := e.variable.Merge(variable.MergeRuntimeVariable(resetNode, host)); err != nil {
+				*stderr = fmt.Sprintf("clean loop item to variable error: %v", err)
+				return
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+
+	// Get all variables for this host, including any loop item
 	ha, err := e.variable.Get(variable.GetAllVariable(host))
 	if err != nil {
 		*stderr = fmt.Sprintf("failed to get host %s variable: %v", host, err)
-
 		return
 	}
-	// convert hostVariable to map
+
+	// Convert host variables to map type
 	had, ok := ha.(map[string]any)
 	if !ok {
 		*stderr = fmt.Sprintf("host: %s variable is not a map", host)
-
 		return
 	}
-	// check failed when condition
+
+	// Check if task should fail based on failed_when conditions
 	if skip := e.dealFailedWhen(had, stdout, stderr); skip {
 		return
 	}
+
+	// Execute the actual module with the prepared context
 	*stdout, *stderr = modules.FindModule(task.Spec.Module.Name)(ctx, modules.ExecOptions{
 		Args:     e.task.Spec.Module.Args,
 		Host:     host,
@@ -316,9 +341,9 @@ func (e *taskExecutor) executeModule(ctx context.Context, task *kkcorev1alpha1.T
 	})
 }
 
-// execLoop parse loop to item slice and execute it. if loop contains template string. convert it.
-// loop is json string. try convertor to string slice by json.
-// loop is normal string. set it to empty slice and return.
+// dealLoop parses the loop specification into a slice of items to iterate over.
+// If no loop is specified, returns a single nil item. Otherwise converts the loop
+// specification from JSON into a slice of values.
 func (e *taskExecutor) dealLoop(ha map[string]any) []any {
 	var items []any
 	switch {
@@ -332,7 +357,8 @@ func (e *taskExecutor) dealLoop(ha map[string]any) []any {
 	return items
 }
 
-// dealWhen "when" argument in task.
+// dealWhen evaluates the "when" conditions for a task to determine if it should be skipped.
+// Returns true if the task should be skipped, false if it should proceed.
 func (e *taskExecutor) dealWhen(had map[string]any, stdout, stderr *string) bool {
 	if len(e.task.Spec.When) > 0 {
 		ok, err := tmpl.ParseBool(had, e.task.Spec.When...)
@@ -352,7 +378,8 @@ func (e *taskExecutor) dealWhen(had map[string]any, stdout, stderr *string) bool
 	return false
 }
 
-// dealFailedWhen "failed_when" argument in task.
+// dealFailedWhen evaluates the "failed_when" conditions for a task to determine if it should fail.
+// Returns true if the task should be marked as failed, false if it should proceed.
 func (e *taskExecutor) dealFailedWhen(had map[string]any, stdout, stderr *string) bool {
 	if len(e.task.Spec.FailedWhen) > 0 {
 		ok, err := tmpl.ParseBool(had, e.task.Spec.FailedWhen...)
@@ -373,7 +400,8 @@ func (e *taskExecutor) dealFailedWhen(had map[string]any, stdout, stderr *string
 	return false
 }
 
-// dealRegister "register" argument in task.
+// dealRegister handles storing task output in a registered variable if specified.
+// The output can be stored as raw string, JSON, or YAML based on the register type.
 func (e *taskExecutor) dealRegister(stdout, stderr, host string) error {
 	if e.task.Spec.Register != "" {
 		var stdoutResult any = stdout
@@ -387,12 +415,16 @@ func (e *taskExecutor) dealRegister(stdout, stderr, host string) error {
 			// store by string
 		}
 		// set variable to parent location
-		if err := e.variable.Merge(variable.MergeRuntimeVariable(map[string]any{
+		node, err := converter.ConvertMap2Node(map[string]any{
 			e.task.Spec.Register: map[string]any{
 				"stdout": stdoutResult,
 				"stderr": stderrResult,
 			},
-		}, host)); err != nil {
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := e.variable.Merge(variable.MergeRuntimeVariable(node, host)); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/modules/set_fact.go b/pkg/modules/set_fact.go
index 0487e4c2..62bb50fd 100644
--- a/pkg/modules/set_fact.go
+++ b/pkg/modules/set_fact.go
@@ -18,44 +18,21 @@ package modules
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 
-	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 
-	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/converter/tmpl"
 	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/variable"
 )
 
 // ModuleSetFact deal "set_fact" module
 func ModuleSetFact(_ context.Context, options ExecOptions) (string, string) {
-	ha, err := options.getAllVariables()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err.Error()
+	var node yaml.Node
+	// Unmarshal the YAML document into a root node.
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(options.Args.Raw, &node); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Sprintf("failed to unmarshal YAML error: %v", err)
 	}
-	// get host variable
-	args := variable.Extension2Variables(options.Args)
-	for k, v := range args {
-		switch val := v.(type) {
-		case bool, int, int8, int16, int32, int64, uint, uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64, float32, float64:
-			args[k] = val
-		case string:
-			sv, err := tmpl.Parse(ha, val)
-			if err != nil {
-				return "", fmt.Sprintf("parse %q error: %v", k, err)
-			}
-			var ssvResult any
-			if json.Valid(sv) {
-				_ = json.Unmarshal(sv, &ssvResult)
-			} else {
-				_ = yaml.Unmarshal(sv, &ssvResult)
-			}
-			args[k] = ssvResult
-		default:
-			return "", fmt.Sprintf("only support bool, int, float64, string value for %q.", k)
-		}
-	}
-	if err := options.Variable.Merge(variable.MergeAllRuntimeVariable(args, options.Host)); err != nil {
+	if err := options.Variable.Merge(variable.MergeAllRuntimeVariable(node, options.Host)); err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Sprintf("set_fact error: %v", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/project/project.go b/pkg/project/project.go
index 637ed97a..4408970d 100644
--- a/pkg/project/project.go
+++ b/pkg/project/project.go
@@ -173,18 +173,23 @@ func (f *project) dealVarsFiles(p *kkprojectv1.Play, basePlaybook string) error
 		if file == "" {
 			return errors.Errorf("failed to find vars_files %q base on %q. it's should be:\n %s", varsFile, basePlaybook, PathFormatVarsFile)
 		}
-
 		data, err := fs.ReadFile(f.FS, file)
 		if err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to read file %q", file)
 		}
-		var newVars map[string]any
+		var node yaml.Node
 		// Unmarshal the YAML document into a root node.
-		if err := yaml.Unmarshal(data, &newVars); err != nil {
+		if err := yaml.Unmarshal(data, &node); err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to failed to unmarshal YAML")
 		}
-		// store vars in play. the vars defined in file should not be repeated.
-		p.Vars = variable.CombineVariables(newVars, p.Vars)
+		if node.Kind != yaml.DocumentNode || len(node.Content) != 1 {
+			return errors.Errorf("unsupport vars_files format. it should be single map file")
+		}
+		// combine map node
+		if node.Content[0].Kind == yaml.MappingNode {
+			// skip empty file
+			p.Vars = *variable.CombineMappingNode(node.Content[0], &p.Vars)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -218,13 +223,19 @@ func (f *project) dealRoles(p kkprojectv1.Play, basePlaybook string) error {
 				return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to read defaults variable file %q", defaults)
 			}
 
-			var newVars map[string]any
+			var node yaml.Node
 			// Unmarshal the YAML document into a root node.
-			if err := yaml.Unmarshal(data, &newVars); err != nil {
+			if err := yaml.Unmarshal(data, &node); err != nil {
 				return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to unmarshal YAML")
 			}
-			// store vars in play. the vars defined in file should not be repeated.
-			p.Roles[i].Vars = variable.CombineVariables(newVars, p.Roles[i].Vars)
+			if node.Kind != yaml.DocumentNode || len(node.Content) != 1 {
+				return errors.Errorf("unsupport vars_files format. it should be single map file")
+			}
+			// combine map node
+			if node.Content[0].Kind == yaml.MappingNode {
+				// skip empty file
+				p.Roles[i].Vars = *variable.CombineMappingNode(node.Content[0], &p.Roles[i].Vars)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/variable/helper.go b/pkg/variable/helper.go
index 553b938d..13701c50 100644
--- a/pkg/variable/helper.go
+++ b/pkg/variable/helper.go
@@ -17,16 +17,14 @@ limitations under the License.
 package variable
 
 import (
-	"net"
 	"reflect"
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
 	kkcorev1 "github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/api/core/v1"
-	kkprojectv1 "github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/api/project/v1"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
@@ -36,18 +34,53 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/converter/tmpl"
 )
 
-// CombineVariables merge multiple variables into one variable
-// v2 will override v1 if variable is repeated
+// CombineMappingNode combines two yaml.Node objects representing mapping nodes.
+// If b is nil or zero, returns a.
+// If both a and b are mapping nodes, appends a's content to b.
+// Returns b in all other cases.
+//
+// Parameters:
+//   - a: First yaml.Node to combine
+//   - b: Second yaml.Node to combine
+//
+// Returns:
+//   - Combined yaml.Node, with b taking precedence
+func CombineMappingNode(a, b *yaml.Node) *yaml.Node {
+	if b == nil || b.IsZero() {
+		return a
+	}
+
+	if a.Kind == yaml.MappingNode && b.Kind == yaml.MappingNode {
+		b.Content = append(b.Content, a.Content...)
+	}
+
+	return b
+}
+
+// CombineVariables merge multiple variables into one variable.
+// It recursively combines two maps, where values from m2 override values from m1 if keys overlap.
+// For nested maps, it will recursively merge their contents.
+// For non-map values or when either input is nil, m2's value takes precedence.
+//
+// Parameters:
+//   - m1: The first map to merge (base map)
+//   - m2: The second map to merge (override map)
+//
+// Returns:
+//   - A new map containing the merged key-value pairs from both input maps
 func CombineVariables(m1, m2 map[string]any) map[string]any {
 	var f func(val1, val2 any) any
 	f = func(val1, val2 any) any {
+		// If both values are non-nil maps, merge them recursively
 		if val1 != nil && val2 != nil &&
 			reflect.TypeOf(val1).Kind() == reflect.Map && reflect.TypeOf(val2).Kind() == reflect.Map {
 			mergedVars := make(map[string]any)
+			// Copy all values from val1 first
 			for _, k := range reflect.ValueOf(val1).MapKeys() {
 				mergedVars[k.String()] = reflect.ValueOf(val1).MapIndex(k).Interface()
 			}
 
+			// Merge in values from val2, recursively handling nested maps
 			for _, k := range reflect.ValueOf(val2).MapKeys() {
 				mergedVars[k.String()] = f(mergedVars[k.String()], reflect.ValueOf(val2).MapIndex(k).Interface())
 			}
@@ -55,14 +88,19 @@ func CombineVariables(m1, m2 map[string]any) map[string]any {
 			return mergedVars
 		}
 
+		// For non-map values or nil inputs, return val2
 		return val2
 	}
+
+	// Initialize result map
 	mv := make(map[string]any)
 
+	// Copy all key-value pairs from m1
 	for k, v := range m1 {
 		mv[k] = v
 	}
 
+	// Merge in values from m2
 	for k, v := range m2 {
 		mv[k] = f(mv[k], v)
 	}
@@ -70,6 +108,41 @@ func CombineVariables(m1, m2 map[string]any) map[string]any {
 	return mv
 }
 
+// CombineSlice combines two string slices while skipping duplicate values.
+// It maintains the order of elements from g1 followed by unique elements from g2.
+//
+// Parameters:
+//   - g1: The first slice of strings
+//   - g2: The second slice of strings
+//
+// Returns:
+//   - A new slice containing unique strings from both input slices,
+//     preserving order with g1 elements appearing before unique g2 elements
+func CombineSlice(g1, g2 []string) []string {
+	uniqueValues := make(map[string]bool)
+	mg := make([]string, 0)
+
+	// Add values from the first slice
+	for _, v := range g1 {
+		if !uniqueValues[v] {
+			uniqueValues[v] = true
+
+			mg = append(mg, v)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Add values from the second slice
+	for _, v := range g2 {
+		if !uniqueValues[v] {
+			uniqueValues[v] = true
+
+			mg = append(mg, v)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return mg
+}
+
 // ConvertGroup converts the inventory into a map of groups with their respective hosts.
 // It ensures that all hosts are included in the "all" group and adds a default localhost if not present.
 // It also creates an "ungrouped" group for hosts that are not part of any specific group.
@@ -120,145 +193,15 @@ func HostsInGroup(inv kkcorev1.Inventory, groupName string) []string {
 	if v, ok := inv.Spec.Groups[groupName]; ok {
 		var hosts []string
 		for _, cg := range v.Groups {
-			hosts = mergeSlice(HostsInGroup(inv, cg), hosts)
-		}
-
-		return mergeSlice(hosts, v.Hosts)
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
-// mergeSlice with skip repeat value
-func mergeSlice(g1, g2 []string) []string {
-	uniqueValues := make(map[string]bool)
-	mg := make([]string, 0)
-
-	// Add values from the first slice
-	for _, v := range g1 {
-		if !uniqueValues[v] {
-			uniqueValues[v] = true
-
-			mg = append(mg, v)
-		}
-	}
-
-	// Add values from the second slice
-	for _, v := range g2 {
-		if !uniqueValues[v] {
-			uniqueValues[v] = true
-
-			mg = append(mg, v)
-		}
-	}
-
-	return mg
-}
-
-// parseVariable parse all string values to the actual value.
-func parseVariable(v any, parseTmplFunc func(string) (string, error)) error {
-	switch reflect.ValueOf(v).Kind() {
-	case reflect.Map:
-		if err := parseVariableFromMap(v, parseTmplFunc); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	case reflect.Slice, reflect.Array:
-		if err := parseVariableFromArray(v, parseTmplFunc); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
-// parseVariableFromMap parse to variable when the v is map.
-func parseVariableFromMap(v any, parseTmplFunc func(string) (string, error)) error {
-	for _, kv := range reflect.ValueOf(v).MapKeys() {
-		val := reflect.ValueOf(v).MapIndex(kv)
-		if vv, ok := val.Interface().(string); ok {
-			if !kkprojectv1.IsTmplSyntax(vv) {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			newValue, err := parseTmplFunc(vv)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-
-			switch {
-			case strings.EqualFold(newValue, "TRUE"):
-				reflect.ValueOf(v).SetMapIndex(kv, reflect.ValueOf(true))
-			case strings.EqualFold(newValue, "FALSE"):
-				reflect.ValueOf(v).SetMapIndex(kv, reflect.ValueOf(false))
-			default:
-				reflect.ValueOf(v).SetMapIndex(kv, reflect.ValueOf(newValue))
-			}
-		} else {
-			if err := parseVariable(val.Interface(), parseTmplFunc); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
+			hosts = CombineSlice(HostsInGroup(inv, cg), hosts)
 		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
-// parseVariableFromArray parse to variable when the v is slice.
-func parseVariableFromArray(v any, parseTmplFunc func(string) (string, error)) error {
-	for i := range reflect.ValueOf(v).Len() {
-		val := reflect.ValueOf(v).Index(i)
-		if vv, ok := val.Interface().(string); ok {
-			if !kkprojectv1.IsTmplSyntax(vv) {
-				continue
-			}
 
-			newValue, err := parseTmplFunc(vv)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-
-			switch {
-			case strings.EqualFold(newValue, "TRUE"):
-				val.Set(reflect.ValueOf(true))
-			case strings.EqualFold(newValue, "FALSE"):
-				val.Set(reflect.ValueOf(false))
-			default:
-				val.Set(reflect.ValueOf(newValue))
-			}
-		} else {
-			if err := parseVariable(val.Interface(), parseTmplFunc); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-		}
+		return CombineSlice(hosts, v.Hosts)
 	}
 
 	return nil
 }
 
-// getLocalIP get the ipv4 or ipv6 for localhost machine
-func getLocalIP(ipType string) string {
-	addrs, err := net.InterfaceAddrs()
-	if err != nil {
-		klog.ErrorS(err, "get network address error")
-	}
-
-	for _, addr := range addrs {
-		if ipNet, ok := addr.(*net.IPNet); ok && !ipNet.IP.IsLoopback() {
-			if ipType == _const.VariableIPv4 && ipNet.IP.To4() != nil {
-				return ipNet.IP.String()
-			}
-
-			if ipType == _const.VariableIPv6 && ipNet.IP.To16() != nil && ipNet.IP.To4() == nil {
-				return ipNet.IP.String()
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	klog.V(4).Infof("connot get local %s address", ipType)
-
-	return ""
-}
-
 // StringVar get string value by key
 func StringVar(d map[string]any, args map[string]any, key string) (string, error) {
 	val, ok := args[key]
diff --git a/pkg/variable/variable_get.go b/pkg/variable/variable_get.go
index 4ea3e42d..5ccc3b7e 100644
--- a/pkg/variable/variable_get.go
+++ b/pkg/variable/variable_get.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package variable
 
 import (
+	"net"
 	"regexp"
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
@@ -8,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/rand"
+	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
 	_const "github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/const"
 	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/converter/tmpl"
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@ var GetHostnames = func(name []string) GetFunc {
 			for gn, gv := range ConvertGroup(vv.value.Inventory) {
 				if gn == n {
 					if gvd, ok := gv.([]string); ok {
-						hs = mergeSlice(hs, gvd)
+						hs = CombineSlice(hs, gvd)
 					}
 
 					break
@@ -77,6 +79,30 @@ var GetHostnames = func(name []string) GetFunc {
 
 // GetAllVariable get all variable for a given host
 var GetAllVariable = func(hostname string) GetFunc {
+	// getLocalIP get the ipv4 or ipv6 for localhost machine
+	getLocalIP := func(ipType string) string {
+		addrs, err := net.InterfaceAddrs()
+		if err != nil {
+			klog.ErrorS(err, "get network address error")
+		}
+
+		for _, addr := range addrs {
+			if ipNet, ok := addr.(*net.IPNet); ok && !ipNet.IP.IsLoopback() {
+				if ipType == _const.VariableIPv4 && ipNet.IP.To4() != nil {
+					return ipNet.IP.String()
+				}
+
+				if ipType == _const.VariableIPv6 && ipNet.IP.To16() != nil && ipNet.IP.To4() == nil {
+					return ipNet.IP.String()
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		klog.V(4).Infof("cannot get local %s address", ipType)
+
+		return ""
+	}
+
 	// defaultHostVariable set default vars when hostname is "localhost"
 	defaultHostVariable := func(hostname string, hostVars map[string]any) {
 		if hostname == _const.VariableLocalHost {
diff --git a/pkg/variable/variable_merge.go b/pkg/variable/variable_merge.go
index d5ddad12..2b18fa0f 100644
--- a/pkg/variable/variable_merge.go
+++ b/pkg/variable/variable_merge.go
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ package variable
 
 import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
-
-	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/converter/tmpl"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
 // ***************************** MergeFunc ***************************** //
@@ -34,8 +33,8 @@ var MergeRemoteVariable = func(data map[string]any, hostname string) MergeFunc {
 }
 
 // MergeRuntimeVariable parse variable by specific host and merge to the host.
-var MergeRuntimeVariable = func(data map[string]any, hosts ...string) MergeFunc {
-	if len(data) == 0 || len(hosts) == 0 {
+var MergeRuntimeVariable = func(node yaml.Node, hosts ...string) MergeFunc {
+	if node.IsZero() {
 		// skip
 		return emptyMergeFunc
 	}
@@ -52,24 +51,14 @@ var MergeRuntimeVariable = func(data map[string]any, hosts ...string) MergeFunc
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			cv, ok := curVars.(map[string]any)
+			ctx, ok := curVars.(map[string]any)
 			if !ok {
 				return errors.Errorf("host %s variables type error, expect map[string]any", hostname)
 			}
-
-			parser := func(s string) (string, error) {
-				return tmpl.ParseFunc(
-					CombineVariables(data, cv),
-					s,
-					func(b []byte) string { return string(b) },
-				)
-			}
-
-			// parse variable
-			if err := parseVariable(data, parser); err != nil {
+			data, err := parseYamlNode(ctx, node)
+			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-
 			hv := vv.value.Hosts[hostname]
 			hv.RuntimeVars = CombineVariables(hv.RuntimeVars, data)
 			vv.value.Hosts[hostname] = hv
@@ -80,31 +69,29 @@ var MergeRuntimeVariable = func(data map[string]any, hosts ...string) MergeFunc
 }
 
 // MergeAllRuntimeVariable parse variable by specific host and merge to all hosts.
-var MergeAllRuntimeVariable = func(data map[string]any, hostname string) MergeFunc {
+var MergeAllRuntimeVariable = func(node yaml.Node, hostname string) MergeFunc {
+	if node.IsZero() {
+		// skip
+		return emptyMergeFunc
+	}
+
 	return func(v Variable) error {
 		vv, ok := v.(*variable)
 		if !ok {
 			return errors.New("variable type error")
 		}
 
+		// Avoid nested locking: prepare context for parsing outside locking region
 		curVars, err := v.Get(GetAllVariable(hostname))
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		cv, ok := curVars.(map[string]any)
+		ctx, ok := curVars.(map[string]any)
 		if !ok {
 			return errors.Errorf("host %s variables type error, expect map[string]any", hostname)
 		}
-
-		parser := func(s string) (string, error) {
-			return tmpl.ParseFunc(
-				CombineVariables(data, cv),
-				s,
-				func(b []byte) string { return string(b) },
-			)
-		}
-
-		if err := parseVariable(data, parser); err != nil {
+		data, err := parseYamlNode(ctx, node)
+		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		for h := range vv.value.Hosts {
diff --git a/pkg/variable/yaml.go b/pkg/variable/yaml.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..51713292
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/variable/yaml.go
@@ -0,0 +1,303 @@
+// Package variable provides functionality for handling variables in YAML format.
+package variable
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
+	kkprojectv1 "github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/api/project/v1"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+
+	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/converter/tmpl"
+)
+
+// YAML tag constants used for parsing different types of nodes
+const (
+	nullTag      = "!!null"      // Represents null/nil values
+	boolTag      = "!!bool"      // Boolean values
+	strTag       = "!!str"       // String values
+	intTag       = "!!int"       // Integer values
+	floatTag     = "!!float"     // Floating point values
+	timestampTag = "!!timestamp" // Timestamp values
+	seqTag       = "!!seq"       // Sequence/array values
+	mapTag       = "!!map"       // Map/object values
+	binaryTag    = "!!binary"    // Binary data
+	mergeTag     = "!!merge"     // Merge key indicator
+)
+
+// parseYamlNode parses a YAML node into a map[string]any.
+// It handles both document nodes and other node types.
+func parseYamlNode(ctx map[string]any, node yaml.Node) (map[string]any, error) {
+	// parse node
+	switch node.Kind {
+	case yaml.DocumentNode:
+		for _, dn := range node.Content {
+			if err := processNode(ctx, dn); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+	default:
+		if err := processNode(ctx, &node); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	var result map[string]any
+
+	return result, errors.Wrap(node.Decode(&result), "failed to decode node to map")
+}
+
+// processNode recursively processes a YAML node and updates the context map.
+// It handles mapping nodes (objects), sequence nodes (arrays), and scalar nodes (values).
+func processNode(ctx map[string]any, node *yaml.Node, path ...string) error {
+	switch node.Kind {
+	case yaml.MappingNode:
+		if len(node.Content)%2 != 0 {
+			return errors.New("mapping node has odd number of content nodes")
+		}
+		for i := 0; i < len(node.Content); i += 2 {
+			keyNode := node.Content[i]
+			valueNode := node.Content[i+1]
+			if keyNode.Kind != yaml.ScalarNode {
+				return errors.New("map key must be scalar")
+			}
+			newPath := append(path, mapTag+keyNode.Value)
+			if err := processNode(ctx, valueNode, newPath...); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	case yaml.SequenceNode:
+		for i, item := range node.Content {
+			elemPath := append(path, fmt.Sprintf("%s%d", seqTag, i))
+			if err := processNode(ctx, item, elemPath...); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	case yaml.ScalarNode:
+		value, err := parseScalarValue(ctx, node)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		// set context value
+		if err := setContextValue(ctx, value, path...); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	default:
+		return errors.Errorf("unsupported node kind: %d", node.Kind)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// parseScalarValue parses a scalar YAML node into its corresponding Go value.
+// It handles null, boolean, string, integer, and float values.
+func parseScalarValue(ctx map[string]any, node *yaml.Node) (any, error) {
+	switch node.Tag {
+	case nullTag:
+		return nil, nil
+	case boolTag:
+		v, err := strconv.ParseBool(node.Value)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to parse %q to bool", node.Value)
+		}
+
+		return v, nil
+	case strTag, "":
+		if kkprojectv1.IsTmplSyntax(node.Value) {
+			pv, err := tmpl.ParseFunc(ctx, node.Value, func(b []byte) string { return string(b) })
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			// change node value
+			node.Value = pv
+
+			return pv, nil
+		}
+
+		return node.Value, nil
+	case intTag:
+		v, err := strconv.Atoi(node.Value)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to parse %q to int", node.Value)
+		}
+
+		return int64(v), nil
+	case floatTag:
+		v, err := strconv.ParseFloat(node.Value, 64)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to parse %q to float", node.Value)
+		}
+
+		return float64(v), nil
+	default:
+		return node.Value, nil
+	}
+}
+
+// setContextValue sets a value in the context map at the specified path.
+// The path is a sequence of tags and values that describe the location in the nested structure.
+func setContextValue(ctx map[string]any, value any, path ...string) error {
+	current := reflect.ValueOf(ctx)
+	var parents []reflect.Value
+	var keys []any
+	for i := range path {
+		tag, val := path[i][:5], path[i][5:] // Split into tag and value
+		isLast := i == len(path)-1
+		// Handle interface values
+		current = derefInterface(current)
+		var err error
+		switch tag {
+		case mapTag:
+			current, err = handleMap(current, val, isLast, value, &parents, &keys, path, i)
+		case seqTag:
+			current, err = handleSlice(current, val, isLast, value, &parents, &keys, path, i)
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("unsupported tag: %s", tag)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if isLast {
+			return updateParents(parents, keys, current)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// handleMap handles setting or creating map values during context updates.
+// It manages the creation of new map entries and handles both terminal and non-terminal path segments.
+func handleMap(current reflect.Value, key string, isLast bool, value any,
+	parents *[]reflect.Value, keys *[]any, path []string, i int) (reflect.Value, error) {
+	if current.Kind() != reflect.Map {
+		return reflect.Value{}, fmt.Errorf("expected map, got %s", current.Kind())
+	}
+	rKey := reflect.ValueOf(key)
+	existing := current.MapIndex(rKey)
+	if isLast {
+		if value == nil {
+			current.SetMapIndex(rKey, reflect.Zero(reflect.TypeOf((*any)(nil)).Elem()))
+		} else {
+			current.SetMapIndex(rKey, reflect.ValueOf(value))
+		}
+		return current, nil
+	}
+	// Get or create next value
+	var next reflect.Value
+	if !existing.IsValid() || isNil(existing) {
+		if i+1 >= len(path) {
+			return reflect.Value{}, fmt.Errorf("path incomplete after index %d", i)
+		}
+		if strings.HasPrefix(path[i+1], mapTag) {
+			next = reflect.ValueOf(make(map[string]any))
+		} else if strings.HasPrefix(path[i+1], seqTag) {
+			next = reflect.ValueOf([]any{})
+		} else {
+			next = reflect.Zero(reflect.TypeOf((*any)(nil)).Elem())
+		}
+		current.SetMapIndex(rKey, next)
+	} else {
+		next = derefInterface(existing)
+	}
+	*parents = append(*parents, current)
+	*keys = append(*keys, key)
+	return next, nil
+}
+
+// handleSlice handles setting or creating slice values during context updates.
+// It manages slice growth, element creation, and handles both terminal and non-terminal path segments.
+func handleSlice(current reflect.Value, val string, isLast bool, value any,
+	parents *[]reflect.Value, keys *[]any, path []string, i int) (reflect.Value, error) {
+	// Parse index from path value
+	index, err := strconv.Atoi(val)
+	if err != nil {
+		return reflect.Value{}, fmt.Errorf("invalid index %s: %w", val, err)
+	}
+	if current.Kind() != reflect.Slice {
+		return reflect.Value{}, fmt.Errorf("expected slice, got %s", current.Kind())
+	}
+	// Grow slice if requested index is beyond current length
+	if index >= current.Len() {
+		newLen := index + 1
+		newSlice := reflect.MakeSlice(current.Type(), newLen, newLen)
+		reflect.Copy(newSlice, current)
+		current = newSlice
+		if err := updateParents(*parents, *keys, current); err != nil {
+			return reflect.Value{}, err
+		}
+	}
+	// Handle setting the final value
+	if isLast {
+		if value == nil {
+			current.Index(index).Set(reflect.Zero(reflect.TypeOf((*any)(nil)).Elem()))
+		} else {
+			current.Index(index).Set(reflect.ValueOf(value))
+		}
+		return current, nil
+	}
+	// Get or initialize nested value
+	item := current.Index(index)
+	if isNil(item) {
+		if i+1 >= len(path) {
+			return reflect.Value{}, fmt.Errorf("path incomplete after index %d", i)
+		}
+
+		var newItem reflect.Value
+		switch {
+		case strings.HasPrefix(path[i+1], mapTag):
+			newItem = reflect.ValueOf(make(map[string]any))
+		case strings.HasPrefix(path[i+1], seqTag):
+			newItem = reflect.ValueOf([]any{})
+		default:
+			newItem = reflect.Zero(reflect.TypeOf((*any)(nil)).Elem())
+		}
+		current.Index(index).Set(newItem)
+		item = newItem
+	}
+	item = derefInterface(item)
+	*parents = append(*parents, current)
+	*keys = append(*keys, index)
+	return item, nil
+}
+
+// derefInterface dereferences an interface value to get its underlying value.
+// If the value is not an interface, it returns the original value.
+func derefInterface(v reflect.Value) reflect.Value {
+	if v.Kind() == reflect.Interface {
+		return v.Elem()
+	}
+	return v
+}
+
+// updateParents updates all parent containers after modifying a nested value.
+// It walks back up the parent chain, updating each container with the modified value.
+func updateParents(parents []reflect.Value, keys []any, value reflect.Value) error {
+	for i := len(parents) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+		parent := parents[i]
+		key := keys[i]
+
+		switch parent.Kind() {
+		case reflect.Map:
+			k := reflect.ValueOf(key)
+			parent.SetMapIndex(k, value)
+		case reflect.Slice:
+			idx, ok := key.(int)
+			if !ok {
+				return errors.Errorf("expected int key for slice index, got %T", key)
+			}
+			parent.Index(idx).Set(value)
+		default:
+			return errors.Errorf("unexpected parent kind: %s", parent.Kind())
+		}
+		value = parent
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// isNil checks if a reflect.Value is nil, handling interface, map and slice types.
+// It returns true if the value is invalid or if it's a nil interface, map, or slice.
+func isNil(v reflect.Value) bool {
+	return !v.IsValid() || (v.Kind() == reflect.Interface || v.Kind() == reflect.Map || v.Kind() == reflect.Slice) && v.IsNil()
+}



Test patch:
diff --git a/pkg/converter/converter_test.go b/pkg/converter/converter_test.go
index 86b298b1..7a4468b1 100644
--- a/pkg/converter/converter_test.go
+++ b/pkg/converter/converter_test.go
@@ -170,3 +170,51 @@ func TestConvertKKClusterToInventoryHost(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestConvertMap2Node(t *testing.T) {
+	testcases := []struct {
+		name    string
+		input   map[string]any
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "simple map",
+			input: map[string]any{
+				"key1": "value1",
+				"key2": 123,
+				"key3": true,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "nested map",
+			input: map[string]any{
+				"outer": map[string]any{
+					"inner": "value",
+				},
+				"array": []any{"a", "b", "c"},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "empty map",
+			input: map[string]any{},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testcases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			node, err := ConvertMap2Node(tc.input)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			assert.NotNil(t, node)
+
+			// Convert back to map to verify roundtrip
+			var result map[string]any
+			err = node.Decode(&result)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.input, result)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/executor/executor_test.go b/pkg/executor/executor_test.go
index ef881d0c..865f0f5e 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/executor_test.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/executor_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	kkcorev1alpha1 "github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/api/core/v1alpha1"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client/fake"
 
 	_const "github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/const"
@@ -15,21 +16,40 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/variable/source"
 )
 
-func newTestOption() (*option, error) {
+func newTestOption(hosts []string) (*option, error) {
 	var err error
+	// convert host to InventoryHost
+	inventoryHost := make(kkcorev1.InventoryHost)
+	for _, h := range hosts {
+		inventoryHost[h] = runtime.RawExtension{}
+	}
+	client := fake.NewClientBuilder().WithScheme(_const.Scheme).WithStatusSubresource(&kkcorev1.Playbook{}, &kkcorev1alpha1.Task{}).Build()
+	inventory := &kkcorev1.Inventory{
+		TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{},
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			GenerateName: "test-",
+			Namespace:    corev1.NamespaceDefault,
+		},
+		Spec: kkcorev1.InventorySpec{
+			Hosts: inventoryHost,
+		},
+	}
+	if err := client.Create(context.TODO(), inventory); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	o := &option{
-		client: fake.NewClientBuilder().WithScheme(_const.Scheme).WithStatusSubresource(&kkcorev1.Playbook{}, &kkcorev1alpha1.Task{}).Build(),
+		client: client,
 		playbook: &kkcorev1.Playbook{
 			TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{},
 			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-				Name:      "test",
-				Namespace: corev1.NamespaceDefault,
+				GenerateName: "test-",
+				Namespace:    corev1.NamespaceDefault,
 			},
 			Spec: kkcorev1.PlaybookSpec{
 				InventoryRef: &corev1.ObjectReference{
-					Name:      "test",
-					Namespace: corev1.NamespaceDefault,
+					Name:      inventory.Name,
+					Namespace: inventory.Namespace,
 				},
 			},
 			Status: kkcorev1.PlaybookStatus{},
@@ -37,17 +57,6 @@ func newTestOption() (*option, error) {
 		logOutput: os.Stdout,
 	}
 
-	if err := o.client.Create(context.TODO(), &kkcorev1.Inventory{
-		TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{},
-		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-			Name:      "test",
-			Namespace: corev1.NamespaceDefault,
-		},
-		Spec: kkcorev1.InventorySpec{},
-	}); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	o.variable, err = variable.New(context.TODO(), o.client, *o.playbook, source.MemorySource)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/executor/task_executor_test.go b/pkg/executor/task_executor_test.go
index 5adaddeb..c70e2645 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/task_executor_test.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/task_executor_test.go
@@ -14,15 +14,16 @@ import (
 
 func TestTaskExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 	testcases := []struct {
-		name string
-		task *kkcorev1alpha1.Task
+		name  string
+		hosts []string
+		task  *kkcorev1alpha1.Task
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "debug module in single host",
 			task: &kkcorev1alpha1.Task{
 				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{},
 				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-					Name:      "test",
+					Name:      "test1",
 					Namespace: corev1.NamespaceDefault,
 				},
 				Spec: kkcorev1alpha1.TaskSpec{
@@ -35,12 +36,34 @@ func TestTaskExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 				Status: kkcorev1alpha1.TaskStatus{},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name:  "debug module in single host with loop",
+			hosts: []string{"node1"},
+			task: &kkcorev1alpha1.Task{
+				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{},
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      "test2",
+					Namespace: corev1.NamespaceDefault,
+				},
+				Spec: kkcorev1alpha1.TaskSpec{
+					Hosts: []string{"node1"},
+					Module: kkcorev1alpha1.Module{
+						Name: "debug",
+						Args: runtime.RawExtension{Raw: []byte(`{"msg":"hello"}`)},
+					},
+					Loop: runtime.RawExtension{
+						Raw: []byte(string(`["a", "b"]`)),
+					},
+				},
+				Status: kkcorev1alpha1.TaskStatus{},
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "debug module in multiple hosts",
 			task: &kkcorev1alpha1.Task{
 				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{},
 				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-					Name:      "test",
+					Name:      "test3",
 					Namespace: corev1.NamespaceDefault,
 				},
 				Spec: kkcorev1alpha1.TaskSpec{
@@ -56,7 +79,7 @@ func TestTaskExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tc := range testcases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			o, err := newTestOption()
+			o, err := newTestOption(tc.hosts)
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/modules/set_fact_test.go b/pkg/modules/set_fact_test.go
index b838fec4..ff691742 100644
--- a/pkg/modules/set_fact_test.go
+++ b/pkg/modules/set_fact_test.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func TestSetFact(t *testing.T) {
 				Task:     kkcorev1alpha1.Task{},
 				Playbook: kkcorev1.Playbook{},
 			},
-			exceptStderr: "only support bool, int, float64, string value for \"k\".",
+			exceptStdout: "success",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "array value",
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func TestSetFact(t *testing.T) {
 				Task:     kkcorev1alpha1.Task{},
 				Playbook: kkcorev1.Playbook{},
 			},
-			exceptStderr: "only support bool, int, float64, string value for \"k\".",
+			exceptStdout: "success",
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/project/project_test.go b/pkg/project/project_test.go
index 210bf39f..2893414c 100644
--- a/pkg/project/project_test.go
+++ b/pkg/project/project_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	kkcorev1alpha1 "github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/api/core/v1alpha1"
 	kkprojectv1 "github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/api/project/v1"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
 func TestMarshalPlaybook(t *testing.T) {
@@ -295,6 +296,220 @@ func TestMarshalPlaybook(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "test_vars_1",
+			playbook: kkcorev1.Playbook{
+				Spec: kkcorev1.PlaybookSpec{
+					Playbook: "testdata/playbook_var1.yaml",
+				},
+			},
+			except: &kkprojectv1.Playbook{
+				Play: []kkprojectv1.Play{
+					{
+						Base: kkprojectv1.Base{
+							Name: "playbook-var1",
+							Vars: yaml.Node{
+								Kind:   yaml.MappingNode,
+								Tag:    "!!map",
+								Line:   6,
+								Column: 5,
+								Content: []*yaml.Node{
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "a",
+										Line:   6,
+										Column: 5,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "b",
+										Line:   6,
+										Column: 8,
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+						PlayHost: kkprojectv1.PlayHost{
+							Hosts: []string{"node1"},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "test_vars_2",
+			playbook: kkcorev1.Playbook{
+				Spec: kkcorev1.PlaybookSpec{
+					Playbook: "testdata/playbook_var2.yaml",
+				},
+			},
+			except: &kkprojectv1.Playbook{
+				Play: []kkprojectv1.Play{
+					{
+						VarsFiles: []string{"vars/var1.yaml", "vars/var2.yaml"},
+						Base: kkprojectv1.Base{
+							Name: "playbook-var2",
+							Vars: yaml.Node{
+								Kind:   yaml.MappingNode,
+								Tag:    "!!map",
+								Line:   2,
+								Column: 1,
+								Content: []*yaml.Node{
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "a1",
+										Line:   2,
+										Column: 1,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "aa",
+										Line:   2,
+										Column: 5,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "a2",
+										Line:   3,
+										Column: 1,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!int",
+										Value:  "1",
+										Line:   3,
+										Column: 5,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "a2",
+										Line:   1,
+										Column: 1,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "aaa",
+										Line:   1,
+										Column: 5,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "a3",
+										Line:   2,
+										Column: 1,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.MappingNode,
+										Tag:    "!!map",
+										Value:  "",
+										Line:   3,
+										Column: 2,
+										Content: []*yaml.Node{
+											{
+												Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+												Tag:    "!!str",
+												Value:  "b3",
+												Line:   3,
+												Column: 2,
+											},
+											{
+												Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+												Tag:    "!!int",
+												Value:  "1",
+												Line:   3,
+												Column: 6,
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+						PlayHost: kkprojectv1.PlayHost{
+							Hosts: []string{"node1"},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "test_vars_3",
+			playbook: kkcorev1.Playbook{
+				Spec: kkcorev1.PlaybookSpec{
+					Playbook: "testdata/playbook_var3.yaml",
+				},
+			},
+			except: &kkprojectv1.Playbook{
+				Play: []kkprojectv1.Play{
+					{
+						VarsFiles: []string{"vars/var1.yaml"},
+						Base: kkprojectv1.Base{
+							Name: "playbook-var3",
+							Vars: yaml.Node{
+								Kind:   yaml.MappingNode,
+								Tag:    "!!map",
+								Line:   8,
+								Column: 5,
+								Content: []*yaml.Node{
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "a2",
+										Line:   8,
+										Column: 5,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!int",
+										Value:  "2",
+										Line:   8,
+										Column: 9,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "a1",
+										Line:   2,
+										Column: 1,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "aa",
+										Line:   2,
+										Column: 5,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!str",
+										Value:  "a2",
+										Line:   3,
+										Column: 1,
+									},
+									{
+										Kind:   yaml.ScalarNode,
+										Tag:    "!!int",
+										Value:  "1",
+										Line:   3,
+										Column: 5,
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+						PlayHost: kkprojectv1.PlayHost{
+							Hosts: []string{"node1"},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testcases {
diff --git a/pkg/project/testdata/playbook_var1.yaml b/pkg/project/testdata/playbook_var1.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9a3123b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/project/testdata/playbook_var1.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+- name: playbook-var1
+  hosts:
+    - node1
+  vars:
+    a: b
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/project/testdata/playbook_var2.yaml b/pkg/project/testdata/playbook_var2.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..febbc3ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/project/testdata/playbook_var2.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+- name: playbook-var2
+  hosts:
+    - node1
+  vars_files:
+    - vars/var1.yaml
+    - vars/var2.yaml
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/project/testdata/playbook_var3.yaml b/pkg/project/testdata/playbook_var3.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1dc35a4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/project/testdata/playbook_var3.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+- name: playbook-var3
+  hosts:
+    - node1
+  vars_files:
+    - vars/var1.yaml
+  vars:
+    a2: 2
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/project/testdata/vars/var1.yaml b/pkg/project/testdata/vars/var1.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d0feee8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/project/testdata/vars/var1.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+a1: aa
+a2: 1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/project/testdata/vars/var2.yaml b/pkg/project/testdata/vars/var2.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b437639d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/project/testdata/vars/var2.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+a2: aaa
+a3:
+ b3: 1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/variable/helper_test.go b/pkg/variable/helper_test.go
index 7ca859c5..736d916a 100644
--- a/pkg/variable/helper_test.go
+++ b/pkg/variable/helper_test.go
@@ -22,130 +22,9 @@ import (
 	kkcorev1 "github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/api/core/v1"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
-
-	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/converter/tmpl"
 )
 
-func TestMergeVariable(t *testing.T) {
-	testcases := []struct {
-		name     string
-		v1       map[string]any
-		v2       map[string]any
-		excepted map[string]any
-	}{
-		{
-			name: "primary variables value is empty",
-			v1:   nil,
-			v2: map[string]any{
-				"a1": "v1",
-			},
-			excepted: map[string]any{
-				"a1": "v1",
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "auxiliary variables value is empty",
-			v1: map[string]any{
-				"p1": "v1",
-			},
-			v2: nil,
-			excepted: map[string]any{
-				"p1": "v1",
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "non-repeat value",
-			v1: map[string]any{
-				"p1": "v1",
-				"p2": map[string]any{
-					"p21": "v21",
-				},
-			},
-			v2: map[string]any{
-				"a1": "v1",
-			},
-			excepted: map[string]any{
-				"p1": "v1",
-				"p2": map[string]any{
-					"p21": "v21",
-				},
-				"a1": "v1",
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "repeat value",
-			v1: map[string]any{
-				"p1": "v1",
-				"p2": map[string]any{
-					"p21": "v21",
-					"p22": "v22",
-				},
-			},
-			v2: map[string]any{
-				"a1": "v1",
-				"p1": "v2",
-				"p2": map[string]any{
-					"p21": "v22",
-					"a21": "v21",
-				},
-			},
-			excepted: map[string]any{
-				"a1": "v1",
-				"p1": "v2",
-				"p2": map[string]any{
-					"p21": "v22",
-					"a21": "v21",
-					"p22": "v22",
-				},
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "repeat deep value",
-			v1: map[string]any{
-				"p1": map[string]string{
-					"p11": "v11",
-				},
-				"p2": map[string]any{
-					"p21": "v21",
-					"p22": "v22",
-				},
-			},
-			v2: map[string]any{
-				"p1": map[string]string{
-					"p21": "v21",
-				},
-				"p2": map[string]any{
-					"p21": map[string]any{
-						"p211": "v211",
-					},
-					"a21": "v21",
-				},
-			},
-			excepted: map[string]any{
-				"p1": map[string]any{
-					"p11": "v11",
-					"p21": "v21",
-				},
-				"p2": map[string]any{
-					"p21": map[string]any{
-						"p211": "v211",
-					},
-					"p22": "v22",
-					"a21": "v21",
-				},
-			},
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, tc := range testcases {
-		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			v := CombineVariables(tc.v1, tc.v2)
-			assert.Equal(t, tc.excepted, v)
-		})
-	}
-}
-
-func TestMergeGroup(t *testing.T) {
+func TestCombineSlice(t *testing.T) {
 	testcases := []struct {
 		name   string
 		g1     []string
@@ -180,118 +59,12 @@ func TestMergeGroup(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tc := range testcases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			ac := mergeSlice(tc.g1, tc.g2)
+			ac := CombineSlice(tc.g1, tc.g2)
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.except, ac)
 		})
 	}
 }
 
-func TestParseVariable(t *testing.T) {
-	testcases := []struct {
-		name   string
-		data   map[string]any
-		base   map[string]any
-		except map[string]any
-	}{
-		{
-			name: "parse string",
-			data: map[string]any{
-				"a": "{{ .a }}",
-			},
-			base: map[string]any{
-				"a": "b",
-			},
-			except: map[string]any{
-				"a": "b",
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "parse map",
-			data: map[string]any{
-				"a": "{{ .a.b }}",
-			},
-			base: map[string]any{
-				"a": map[string]any{
-					"b": "c",
-				},
-			},
-			except: map[string]any{
-				"a": "c",
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "parse slice",
-			data: map[string]any{
-				"a": []string{"{{ .b }}"},
-			},
-			base: map[string]any{
-				"b": "c",
-			},
-			except: map[string]any{
-				"a": []string{"c"},
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "parse map in slice",
-			data: map[string]any{
-				"a": []map[string]any{
-					{
-						"a1": []any{"{{ .b }}"},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-			base: map[string]any{
-				"b": "c",
-			},
-			except: map[string]any{
-				"a": []map[string]any{
-					{
-						"a1": []any{"c"},
-					},
-				},
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "parse slice with bool value",
-			data: map[string]any{
-				"a": []any{"{{ .b }}"},
-			},
-			base: map[string]any{
-				"b": "true",
-			},
-			except: map[string]any{
-				"a": []any{true},
-			},
-		},
-		{
-			name: "parse map with bool value",
-			data: map[string]any{
-				"a": "{{ .b }}",
-			},
-			base: map[string]any{
-				"b": "true",
-			},
-			except: map[string]any{
-				"a": true,
-			},
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, tc := range testcases {
-		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			err := parseVariable(tc.data, func(s string) (string, error) {
-				// parse use total variable. the task variable should not contain template syntax.
-				return tmpl.ParseFunc(CombineVariables(tc.data, tc.base), s, func(b []byte) string { return string(b) })
-			})
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatal(err)
-			}
-
-			assert.Equal(t, tc.except, tc.data)
-		})
-	}
-}
-
 func TestHostsInGroup(t *testing.T) {
 	testcases := []struct {
 		name      string
diff --git a/pkg/variable/variable_get_test.go b/pkg/variable/variable_get_test.go
index be149e62..cd5bbb8a 100644
--- a/pkg/variable/variable_get_test.go
+++ b/pkg/variable/variable_get_test.go
@@ -255,3 +255,122 @@ func TestGetWorkdir(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCombineVariables(t *testing.T) {
+	testcases := []struct {
+		name     string
+		v1       map[string]any
+		v2       map[string]any
+		excepted map[string]any
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "primary variables value is empty",
+			v1:   nil,
+			v2: map[string]any{
+				"a1": "v1",
+			},
+			excepted: map[string]any{
+				"a1": "v1",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "auxiliary variables value is empty",
+			v1: map[string]any{
+				"p1": "v1",
+			},
+			v2: nil,
+			excepted: map[string]any{
+				"p1": "v1",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "non-repeat value",
+			v1: map[string]any{
+				"p1": "v1",
+				"p2": map[string]any{
+					"p21": "v21",
+				},
+			},
+			v2: map[string]any{
+				"a1": "v1",
+			},
+			excepted: map[string]any{
+				"p1": "v1",
+				"p2": map[string]any{
+					"p21": "v21",
+				},
+				"a1": "v1",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "repeat value",
+			v1: map[string]any{
+				"p1": "v1",
+				"p2": map[string]any{
+					"p21": "v21",
+					"p22": "v22",
+				},
+			},
+			v2: map[string]any{
+				"a1": "v1",
+				"p1": "v2",
+				"p2": map[string]any{
+					"p21": "v22",
+					"a21": "v21",
+				},
+			},
+			excepted: map[string]any{
+				"a1": "v1",
+				"p1": "v2",
+				"p2": map[string]any{
+					"p21": "v22",
+					"a21": "v21",
+					"p22": "v22",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "repeat deep value",
+			v1: map[string]any{
+				"p1": map[string]string{
+					"p11": "v11",
+				},
+				"p2": map[string]any{
+					"p21": "v21",
+					"p22": "v22",
+				},
+			},
+			v2: map[string]any{
+				"p1": map[string]string{
+					"p21": "v21",
+				},
+				"p2": map[string]any{
+					"p21": map[string]any{
+						"p211": "v211",
+					},
+					"a21": "v21",
+				},
+			},
+			excepted: map[string]any{
+				"p1": map[string]any{
+					"p11": "v11",
+					"p21": "v21",
+				},
+				"p2": map[string]any{
+					"p21": map[string]any{
+						"p211": "v211",
+					},
+					"p22": "v22",
+					"a21": "v21",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testcases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			v := CombineVariables(tc.v1, tc.v2)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.excepted, v)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/variable/variable_merge_test.go b/pkg/variable/variable_merge_test.go
index e1a02800..faeb88b2 100644
--- a/pkg/variable/variable_merge_test.go
+++ b/pkg/variable/variable_merge_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 
+	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/converter"
 	"github.com/kubesphere/kubekey/v4/pkg/variable/source"
 )
 
@@ -94,10 +95,13 @@ func TestMergeRuntimeVariable(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tc := range testcases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			err := tc.variable.Merge(MergeRuntimeVariable(tc.data, tc.hostname))
+			node, err := converter.ConvertMap2Node(tc.data)
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
+			if err := tc.variable.Merge(MergeRuntimeVariable(node, tc.hostname)); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
 
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.except, *tc.variable.value)
 		})
@@ -146,10 +150,13 @@ func TestMergeAllRuntimeVariable(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tc := range testcases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			err := tc.variable.Merge(MergeAllRuntimeVariable(tc.data, tc.hostname))
+			node, err := converter.ConvertMap2Node(tc.data)
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
+			if err := tc.variable.Merge(MergeAllRuntimeVariable(node, tc.hostname)); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
 
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.except, *tc.variable.value)
 		})
diff --git a/pkg/variable/yaml_test.go b/pkg/variable/yaml_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..435d9569
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/variable/yaml_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+package variable
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+)
+
+func TestProcessNode(t *testing.T) {
+	testcases := []struct {
+		name     string
+		yamlStr  string
+		expected map[string]any
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "scalar value of map",
+			yamlStr: `
+name: alice
+age: 30
+`,
+			expected: map[string]any{
+				"name": "alice",
+				"age":  int64(30),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "map value of map",
+			yamlStr: `
+user:
+  name: alice
+  age: 30
+`,
+			expected: map[string]any{
+				"user": map[string]any{
+					"name": "alice",
+					"age":  int64(30),
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "scalar value of sequence",
+			yamlStr: `
+user:
+  - alice
+  - carol
+`,
+			expected: map[string]any{
+				"user": []any{"alice", "carol"},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "map value of sequence",
+			yamlStr: `
+user:
+  - name: carol
+`,
+			expected: map[string]any{
+				"user": []any{map[string]any{"name": "carol"}},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "sequence of sequences",
+			yamlStr: `
+matrix:
+  - [1, 2, 3]
+  - [4, 5, 6]
+`,
+			expected: map[string]any{
+				"matrix": []any{
+					[]any{int64(1), int64(2), int64(3)},
+					[]any{int64(4), int64(5), int64(6)},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "deeply nested map and sequence",
+			yamlStr: `
+app:
+  name: myapp
+  env:
+    - dev
+    - staging
+    - prod
+  config:
+    ports:
+      - 80
+      - 443
+`,
+			expected: map[string]any{
+				"app": map[string]any{
+					"name": "myapp",
+					"env":  []any{"dev", "staging", "prod"},
+					"config": map[string]any{
+						"ports": []any{int64(80), int64(443)},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testcases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var node yaml.Node
+			err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(tc.yamlStr), &node)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to unmarshal YAML: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			if len(node.Content) == 0 {
+				t.Fatalf("empty YAML content")
+			}
+
+			ctx := make(map[string]any)
+			if err = processNode(ctx, node.Content[0]); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("processNode failed: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.expected, ctx)
+		})
+	}
+}