jinjanator 25.3.1
Command-line interface to Jinja2 for templating in shell scripts.
License: Apache-2.0
Requires Python: >=3.10

# *jinjanator*: CLI tool for rendering Jinja2 templates


Features:

* Jinja2 templating
* INI, YAML, JSON data sources supported
* Environment variables can be used with or without data files
* Plugins can provide additional formats, filters, tests, extensions and global
  functions (see
  [jinjanator-plugins](https://github.com/kpfleming/jinjanator-plugins)
  for details)

## Installation

```
pip install jinjanator
```

## Available Plugins

* [jinjanator-plugin-ansible](https://pypi.org/project/jinjanator-plugin-ansible) -
  makes Ansible's 'core' filters and tests available during template
  rendering
* [jinjanator-plugin-format-toml](https://pypi.org/project/jinjanator-plugin-format-toml) -
  provides a TOML parser for input data files
* [jinjanator-plugin-format-xml](https://pypi.org/project/jinjanator-plugin-format-xml) -
  provides an XML parser for input data files

## Tutorial

Suppose you have an NGINX configuration file template, `nginx.j2`:

```jinja2
server {
  listen 80;
  server_name {{ nginx.hostname }};

  root {{ nginx.webroot }};
  index index.htm;
}
```

And you have a JSON file with the data, `nginx.json`:

```json
{
    "nginx":{
        "hostname": "localhost",
        "webroot": "/var/www/project"
    }
}
```

This is how you render it into a working configuration file:

```bash
$ jinjanate nginx.j2 nginx.json > nginx.conf
```

The output is saved to `nginx.conf`:

```
server {
  listen 80;
  server_name localhost;

  root /var/www/project;
  index index.htm;
}
```

Alternatively, you can use the `-o nginx.conf` or `--output-file
nginx.conf`options to write directly to the file.

## Tutorial with environment variables

Suppose, you have a very simple template, `person.xml.j2`:

```jinja2
<data><name>{{ name }}</name><age>{{ age }}</age></data>
```

What is the easiest way to use jinjanator here?
Use environment variables in your Bash script:

```bash
$ export name=Andrew
$ export age=31
$ jinjanate /tmp/person.xml.j2
<data><name>Andrew</name><age>31</age></data>
```

## Using environment variables

Even when you use a data file as the data source, you can always
access environment variables using the `env()` function:

```jinja2
Username: {{ login }}
Password: {{ env("APP_PASSWORD") }}
```

Or, if you prefer, as a filter:

```jinja2
Username: {{ login }}
Password: {{ "APP_PASSWORD" | env }}
```

## CLI Reference
`jinjanate` accepts the following arguments:

* `template`: Jinja2 template file to render
* `data`: (optional) path to the data used for rendering.
    The default is `-`: use stdin.

There is some special behavior with environment variables:

* When `data` is not provided (data is `-`), `--format` defaults to
  `env` and thus reads environment variables.

### Options:

* `--format FMT, -f FMT`: format for the data file. The default is
  `?`: guess from file extension. Supported formats are YAML (.yaml or
  .yml), JSON (.json), INI (.ini), and dotenv (.env), plus any formats
  provided by plugins you have installed.
* `--format-option OPT`: option to be passed to the parser for the
  data format selected with `--format` (or auto-selected). This can be
  specified multiple times. Refer to the documentation for the format
  itself to learn whether it supports any options.
* `--help, -h`: generates a help message describing usage of the tool.
* `--import-env VAR, -e VAR`: import all environment variables into
    the template as `VAR`.  To import environment variables into the
    global scope, give it an empty string: `--import-env=`.  (This
    will overwrite any existing variables with the same names!)
* `--output-file OUTFILE, -o OUTFILE`: Write rendered template to a
  file.
* `--quiet`: Avoid generating any output on stderr.
* `--undefined`: Allow undefined variables to be used in templates (no
  error will be raised).
* `--version`: prints the version of the tool and the Jinja2 package installed.

### Customization Options:

For details on the behavior of these options, see the
[Customization](https://github.com/kpfleming/jinjanator/tree/main/#customization) section.

* `--filters PYTHON_FILE` - specify a file of Python source code,
  containing additional Jinja2 filters as simple functions. You can
  use this option more than once to include multiple files.

  * NOTE: While this option's behavior matches the `j2cli`
    documentation, it does not match the `j2cli` implementation. If
    you are migrating from `j2cli` and use more than one filters file,
    you will need to specify this option once for each file.

* `--tests PYTHON_FILE` - specify a file of Python source code,
  containing additional Jinja2 tests as simple functions. You can use
  this option more than once to include multiple files.

  * NOTE: While this option's behavior matches the `j2cli`
    documentation, it does not match the `j2cli` implementation. If
    you are migrating from `j2cli` and use more than one tests file,
    you will need to specify this option once for each file.

* `--customize PYTHON_FILE` - specify a file of Python source code
  containing customization functions. This file can modify the Jinja2
  context, add filters/tests, or change Jinja2's configuration. Unlike
  `--filters` and `--tests`, this option can only be specified once.

## Usage Examples

Render a template using INI-file data source:

    $ jinjanate config.j2 data.ini

Render using JSON data source:

    $ jinjanate config.j2 data.json

Render using YAML data source:

    $ jinjanate config.j2 data.yaml

Render using JSON data on stdin:

    $ curl http://example.com/service.json | jinjanate --format=json config.j2 -

Render using environment variables:

    $ jinjanate config.j2

Or use environment variables from a file:

    $ jinjanate config.j2 data.env

Or pipe it: (note that you'll have to use "-" in this particular case):

    $ jinjanate --format=env config.j2 - < data.env


## Data Formats

### dotenv
Data input from environment variables.

#### Options

This format does not support any options.

#### Usage

Render directly from the current environment variable values:

    $ jinjanate config.j2

Or alternatively, read the values from a dotenv file:

```
NGINX_HOSTNAME=localhost
NGINX_WEBROOT=/var/www/project
NGINX_LOGS=/var/log/nginx/
```

And render with:

    $ jinjanate config.j2 data.env

Or:

    $ env | jinjanate --format=env config.j2

If you're going to pipe a dotenv file into `jinjanate`, you'll need to
use "-" as the second argument:

    $ jinjanate config.j2 - < data.env

### INI
INI data input format.

#### Options

This format does not support any options.

#### Usage

data.ini:

```
[nginx]
hostname=localhost
webroot=/var/www/project
logs=/var/log/nginx
```

Usage:

    $ jinjanate config.j2 data.ini

Or:

    $ cat data.ini | jinjanate --format=ini config.j2

### JSON
JSON data input format.

#### Options

* `array-name`: accepts a single string (e.g. `--format-option array-name=foo`), which
  must be a valid Python identifier and not a Python keyword. If this
  option is specified, and the JSON data provided is an `array`
  (sequence, list), the specified name will be used to make the data
  available to the Jinja2 template. Errors will be generated if
  `array` data is provided and this option is not specified, or if
  this option is specified and the data provided is an `object`.

#### Usage

data.json:

```
{
    "nginx":{
        "hostname": "localhost",
        "webroot": "/var/www/project",
        "logs": "/var/log/nginx"
    }
}
```

Usage:

    $ jinjanate config.j2 data.json

Or:

    $ cat data.json | jinjanate --format=json config.j2

### YAML
YAML data input format.

#### Options

* `sequence-name`: accepts a single string (e.g. `--format-option sequence-name=foo`),
  which must be a valid Python identifier and not a Python keyword. If
  this option is specified, and the YAML data provided is a `sequence`
  (array, list), the specified name will be used to make the data
  available to the Jinja2 template. Errors will be generated if
  `sequence` data is provided and this option is not specified, or if
  this option is specified and the data provided is a `mapping`.

#### Usage

data.yaml:

```
nginx:
  hostname: localhost
  webroot: /var/www/project
  logs: /var/log/nginx
```

Usage:

    $ jinjanate config.j2 data.yml

Or:

    $ cat data.yml | jinjanate --format=yaml config.j2

## Filters

### `env(varname, default=None)`
Use an environment variable's value in the template.

This filter is available even when your data source is something other
than the environment.

Example:

```jinja2
User: {{ user_login }}
Pass: {{ "USER_PASSWORD" | env }}
```

You can provide a default value:

```jinja2
Pass: {{ "USER_PASSWORD" | env("-none-") }}
```

For your convenience, it's also available as a global function:

```jinja2
User: {{ user_login }}
Pass: {{ env("USER_PASSWORD") }}
```

Notice that there must be quotes around the environment variable name
when it is a literal string.

## Customization

Jinjanator supports customizing Jinja2 template processing using two
methods - via simple files containing custom filters or tests, or via
a more advanced "customizations" file that allows you to do all of the
above as well as modify core configuration of the Jinja2 engine.

### Using filters and tests files

The simplest way to add additional filters or tests is via "filters"
and "tests" files. These files contain Python source code consisting
of simple functions. Each function becomes a filter or test.

Examples:

`filters.py`

```python
# Simple filters file

def parentheses(message):
    """ Put message in parenthesis """
    return f"({message})"
```

`tests.py`

```python
#  Example of simple tests file

def an_odd_number(number):
    """ test if number is odd """
    return True if (number % 2) else False
```

And a template that uses them:

```
{% for x in range(4) %}
{{x}} is: {% if x is an_odd_number %}
    {{- "odd" | parentheses }}
  {%- else %}
    {{- "even" | parentheses }}
  {%- endif %}
{%- endfor %}
```

The output is:

```
$ jinjanate --filter ./filters.py --test ./tests.py simple.j2

0 is: (even)
1 is: (odd)
2 is: (even)
3 is: (odd)
```

You can include multiple functions in each file and/or use multiple
files as needed.

### Using a customizations file

A more advanced way to customize your template processing is by using
a "customizations" file.

Customizations files allow you to:

* Pass additional keywords to the Jinja2 environment
* Modify the context before it is used for rendering
* Register custom filters and tests

This is done through *hooks* that you implement in a customization
file in Python code. Each hook is a plain function at the module
level with the exact name as shown below.

The following hooks are available:

* `j2_environment_params() -> dict`: returns a `dict` of additional parameters for
  [Jinja2 Environment](https://jinja.pocoo.org/docs/2.10/api/#jinja2.Environment).

* `j2_environment(env: Environment) -> Environment`: lets you
  customize the `Environment` object.

* `alter_context(context: dict) -> dict`: lets you modify the context
  variables that are going to be used for template rendering. You can
  do all sorts of pre-processing here.

* `extra_filters() -> dict`: returns a `dict` with extra filters for
  Jinja2

* `extra_tests() -> dict`: returns a `dict` with extra tests for
  Jinja2

All of them are optional.

The example `customization.py file` for your reference:

```python
#
# Example customization.py file for jinjanator
# Contains hooks that modify the way Jinja2 is initialized and used

def j2_environment_params():
    """ Extra parameters for the Jinja2 Environment """
    # Jinja2 Environment configuration
    # https://jinja.pocoo.org/docs/2.10/api/#jinja2.Environment
    return dict(
        # Just some examples

        # Change block start/end strings
        block_start_string='<%',
        block_end_string='%>',
        # Change variable strings
        variable_start_string='<<',
        variable_end_string='>>',
        # Remove whitespace around blocks
        trim_blocks=True,
        lstrip_blocks=True,
        # Enable line statements:
        # http://jinja.pocoo.org/docs/2.10/templates/#line-statements
        line_statement_prefix='#',
        # Keep \n at the end of a file
        keep_trailing_newline=True,
        # Enable custom extensions
        # http://jinja.pocoo.org/docs/2.10/extensions/#jinja-extensions
        extensions=('jinja2.ext.i18n',),
    )

def j2_environment(env):
    """ Modify Jinja2 environment

    :param env: jinja2.environment.Environment
    :rtype: jinja2.environment.Environment
    """
    env.globals.update(
        my_function=lambda v: 'my function says "{}"'.format(v)
    )
    return env

def alter_context(context):
    """ Modify the context and return it """
    # An extra variable
    context['ADD'] = '127'
    return context

def extra_filters():
    """ Declare some custom filters.

        Returns: dict(name = function)
    """
    return dict(
        # Example: {{ var | parentheses }}
        parentheses=lambda t: '(' + t + ')',
    )

def extra_tests():
    """ Declare some custom tests

        Returns: dict(name = function)
    """
    return dict(
        # Example: {% if a|int is custom_odd %}odd{% endif %}
        custom_odd=lambda n: True if (n % 2) else False
    )
```

## Release Information
### Fixes

- Improved documentation of format options, and corrected an error in example for JSON data format.
  [[#61](https://github.com/kpfleming/jinjanator/issues/61)](https://github.com/kpfleming/jinjanator/issues/61)

---
[→ Full Changelog](https://github.com/kpfleming/jinjanator/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md)