blockinfile

blockinfile is a tool for editing automatically a text block surrounded by marker lines. It's an automated port of ansible's blockinfile module.

Basically, it can overwrite a part of a file that's well delimited so it doesn't overwrite the whole file.

Usage

blockinfile --path FILE_TO_PATCH --block CONTENT_TO_INSERT [--marker MARKER_TEMPLATE] [--marker-begin START_STRING] [--marker-end END_STRING] [MORE_OPTIONS]

Options are the same as in Ansible documentation.

Sample

If myfile.conf initially contains:

sample line
other line

Then running:

blockinfile --path myfile.conf --marker "# {mark} MY BLOCK" --block 'this line will be entered
this one too'

Then myfile.conf will be updated:

sample line
other line
# BEGIN MY BLOCK
this line will be entered
this one too
# END MY BLOCK

Then running:

blockinfile --path myfile.conf --marker "# {mark} MY BLOCK" --block 'updating the section'

Would produce:

sample line
other line
# BEGIN MY BLOCK
updating the section
# END MY BLOCK

"Automated" port

This project includes the source of Ansible's blockinfile module, slightly modified so it can work without having to use or even install Ansible. The modifications have been automated so it should be possible to easily port newer Ansible versions.

See builder/build.sh.

Install

From PyPI:

pipx install blockinfile

License

Since blockinfile is a port of (part of) Ansible's source, it's licensed under GPLv3+ just like Ansible.