Allow handlers to run in between pre_tasks, roles, tasks, and post_tasks.

lib/ansible/playbook/__init__.py

@@ -496,15 +496,35 @@ class PlayBook(object):
             self.inventory.also_restrict_to(on_hosts)
 
             for task in play.tasks():
+
+                if task.meta is not None:
+
+                    # meta tasks are an internalism and are not valid for end-user playbook usage
+                    # here a meta task is a placeholder that signals handlers should be run
+ 
+                    if task.meta == 'flush_handlers':
+                        for handler in play.handlers():
+                            if len(handler.notified_by) > 0:
+                                self.inventory.restrict_to(handler.notified_by)
+                                self._run_task(play, handler, True)
+                                self.inventory.lift_restriction()
+                                for host in handler.notified_by:
+                                    handler.notified_by.remove(host)
+
+                        continue
+
                 hosts_count = len(self._list_available_hosts(play.hosts))
 
                 # only run the task if the requested tags match
                 should_run = False
                 for x in self.only_tags:
+
+
                     for y in task.tags:
                         if (x==y):
                             should_run = True
                             break
+
                 if should_run:
                     if not self._run_task(play, task, False):
                         # whether no hosts matched is fatal or not depends if it was on the initial step.
@@ -523,12 +543,13 @@ class PlayBook(object):
                     return False
 
             # run notify actions
-            for handler in play.handlers():
+            #for handler in play.handlers():
-                if len(handler.notified_by) > 0:
+            #    if len(handler.notified_by) > 0:
-                    self.inventory.restrict_to(handler.notified_by)
+            #        self.inventory.restrict_to(handler.notified_by)
-                    self._run_task(play, handler, True)
+            #        self._run_task(play, handler, True)
-                    self.inventory.lift_restriction()
+            #        self.inventory.lift_restriction()
-                    handler.notified_by = []
+            #        handler.notified_by = []
+            #    handler.notified_by = []
 
             self.inventory.lift_also_restriction()
 

lib/ansible/playbook/play.py

@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ class Play(object):
         # and it auto-extends tasks/handlers/vars_files as appropriate if found
 
         if roles is None:
-            return ds
+            roles = []
         if type(roles) != list:
             raise errors.AnsibleError("value of 'roles:' must be a list")
 
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ class Play(object):
             pre_tasks = []
         for x in pre_tasks:
             new_tasks.append(x)
+        new_tasks.append(dict(meta='flush_handlers'))
 
         # variables if the role was parameterized (i.e. given as a hash) 
         has_dict = {}
@@ -200,14 +201,17 @@ class Play(object):
         if type(post_tasks) != list:
             post_tasks = []
 
+        new_tasks.append(dict(meta='flush_handlers'))
         new_tasks.extend(tasks)
+        new_tasks.append(dict(meta='flush_handlers'))
         new_tasks.extend(post_tasks)
+        new_tasks.append(dict(meta='flush_handlers'))
         new_handlers.extend(handlers)
         new_vars_files.extend(vars_files)
         ds['tasks'] = new_tasks
         ds['handlers'] = new_handlers
         ds['vars_files'] = new_vars_files
- 
+
         return ds
 
     # *************************************************
@@ -223,6 +227,12 @@ class Play(object):
         for x in tasks:
             if not isinstance(x, dict):
                 raise errors.AnsibleError("expecting dict; got: %s" % x)
+
+            if 'meta' in x:
+                if x['meta'] == 'flush_handlers':
+                    results.append(Task(self,x))
+                    continue
+ 
             task_vars = self.vars.copy()
             task_vars.update(vars)
             if original_file:
@@ -369,7 +379,8 @@ class Play(object):
         # gather all the tags in all the tasks into one list
         all_tags = []
         for task in self._tasks:
-            all_tags.extend(task.tags)
+            if not task.meta:
+                all_tags.extend(task.tags)
 
         # compare the lists of tags using sets and return the matched and unmatched
         all_tags_set = set(all_tags)

lib/ansible/playbook/task.py

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import ansible.utils.template as template
 class Task(object):
 
     __slots__ = [
-        'name', 'action', 'only_if', 'when', 'async_seconds', 'async_poll_interval',
+        'name', 'meta', 'action', 'only_if', 'when', 'async_seconds', 'async_poll_interval',
         'notify', 'module_name', 'module_args', 'module_vars',
         'play', 'notified_by', 'tags', 'register',
         'delegate_to', 'first_available_file', 'ignore_errors',
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class Task(object):
 
     # to prevent typos and such
     VALID_KEYS = [
-         'name', 'action', 'only_if', 'async', 'poll', 'notify',
+         'name', 'meta', 'action', 'only_if', 'async', 'poll', 'notify',
          'first_available_file', 'include', 'tags', 'register', 'ignore_errors',
          'delegate_to', 'local_action', 'transport', 'sudo', 'sudo_user',
          'sudo_pass', 'when', 'connection', 'environment', 'args',
@@ -43,6 +43,15 @@ class Task(object):
     def __init__(self, play, ds, module_vars=None, additional_conditions=None):
         ''' constructor loads from a task or handler datastructure '''
 
+        # meta directives are used to tell things like ansible/playbook to run
+        # operations like handler execution.  Meta tasks are not executed
+        # normally.
+        if 'meta' in ds:
+            self.meta = ds['meta']
+            return
+        else:
+            self.meta = None
+
         for x in ds.keys():
 
             # code to allow for saying "modulename: args" versus "action: modulename args"