Table of Contents

this

Table of Contents

The context this is used to access information about promises during their execution. It is context dependent and not universally meaningful or available, but provides a context for variables where one is needed (such as when passing the value of a list variable into a parameterized edit_line promise from a files promise).

    bundle agent resolver(s,n)
    {
    files:
      "$(sys.resolv)"

          create        => "true",
          edit_line     => doresolv("@(this.s)","@(this.n)"),
          edit_defaults => reconstruct;
    }

Note that every unqualified variable is automatically considered to be in context this, so that a reference to the variable $(foo) is identical to referencing $(this.foo). You are strongly encouraged to not take advantage of this behavior, but simply to be aware that if you attempt to declare a variable name with one of the following special reserved names, CFEngine will issue a warning (and you can reference your variable by qualifying it with the bundle name in which it is declared).

this.bundle

This variable contains the current bundle name.

this.handle

This variable points to the promise handle of the currently handled promise; it is useful for referring to the intention in log messages.

this.namespace

This variable contains the current namespace name.

this.promise_filename

This variable reveals the name of the file in which the current promise is defined.

this.promise_dirname

This variable contains the directory name of the file in which the current promise is defined.

this.promise_linenumber

This variable reveals the line number in the file at which it is used. It is useful to differentiate otherwise identical reports promises.

this.promiser

The special variable $(this.promiser) is used to refer to the current value of the promiser itself.

In files promises, where it is practical to use patterns or depth_search to match multiple objects, the variable refers to the file that is currently making the promise. However, the variable can only be used in selected attributes:

For example:

    bundle agent find666
    {
    files:
      "/home"
        file_select => world_writeable,
        transformer => "/bin/echo DETECTED $(this.promiser)",
        depth_search => recurse("inf");

      "/etc/.*"
        file_select => world_writeable,
        transformer => "/bin/echo DETECTED $(this.promiser)";
    }

    body file_select world_writeable
    {
      search_mode => { "o+w" };
      file_result => "mode";
    }

this.promiser_uid

This variable refers to the uid (user ID) of the user running the cf-agent program.

Note: This variable is reported by the platform dependent getuid function, and is always an integer.

this.promiser_gid

This variable refers to the gid (group ID) of the user running the cf-agent program.

Note: This variable is reported by the platform dependent getgid function, and is always an integer.

this.promiser_pid

This variable refers to the pid (process ID) of the cf-agent program.

Note: This variable is reported by the platform dependent getpid function, and is always an integer.

this.promiser_ppid

This variable refers to the ppid (parent process ID) of the cf-agent program.

Note: This variable is reported by the platform dependent getpid function, and is always an integer. On the Windows platform it's always 0.

this.service_policy

In a services promise, this variable is set to the value of the promise attribute service_policy. For example:

    services:

      "www"  service_policy => "start";
      service_bundle => non_standard_services;

This is typically used in the adaptations for custom services bundles in the service methods.

this.this

From version 3.3.0 on, this variable is reserved. It is used by functions like maplist() to represent the current object in a transformation map.