aci_rest: No JSON object could not be decoded error

[konono]

SUMMARY

aci_rest module does not seem to work when xml file is specified in src parameter.

Affected Module Name(s):

aci_rest

Collection versions

• cisco.aci v1.0.1 later

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible --version ansible [core 2.11.11.post0] config file = /runner/project/ansible.cfg configured module search path = ['/home/runner/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules'] ansible python module location = /usr/local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/ansible ansible collection location = /home/runner/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections executable location = /usr/local/bin/ansible python version = 3.8.12 (default, Sep 21 2021, 00:10:52) [GCC 8.5.0 20210514 (Red Hat 8.5.0-3)] jinja version = 3.1.2 libyaml = True

CONFIGURATION

DEFAULT_MODULE_PATH(/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg) = [u'/usr/share/ansible']

OS / ENVIRONMENT

N/A

DESCRIPTION:

I have checked the problem and found that there may be unnecessary code in line 382 of aci_rest.py. https://github.com/CiscoDevNet/ansible-aci/blob/master/plugins/modules/aci_rest.py#L382

The src file has a branch in rest_type that allows content to be loaded in either json or xml format, but for some reason json.loads is being executed before the branch. Is my understands correct ?

Output/ Error message

The full traceback is:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1654215599.9376042-118-106740548368113/AnsiballZ_aci_rest.py", line 100, in <module>
    _ansiballz_main()
  File "/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1654215599.9376042-118-106740548368113/AnsiballZ_aci_rest.py", line 92, in _ansiballz_main
    invoke_module(zipped_mod, temp_path, ANSIBALLZ_PARAMS)
  File "/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1654215599.9376042-118-106740548368113/AnsiballZ_aci_rest.py", line 40, in invoke_module
    runpy.run_module(mod_name='ansible_collections.cisco.aci.plugins.modules.aci_rest', init_globals=dict(_module_fqn='ansible_collections.cisco.aci.plugins.modules.aci_rest', _modlib_path=modlib_path),
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/runpy.py", line 207, in run_module
    return _run_module_code(code, init_globals, run_name, mod_spec)
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/runpy.py", line 97, in _run_module_code
    _run_code(code, mod_globals, init_globals,
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/runpy.py", line 87, in _run_code
    exec(code, run_globals)
  File "/tmp/ansible_aci_rest_payload_f_19tas6/ansible_aci_rest_payload.zip/ansible_collections/cisco/aci/plugins/modules/aci_rest.py", line 451, in <module>
  File "/tmp/ansible_aci_rest_payload_f_19tas6/ansible_aci_rest_payload.zip/ansible_collections/cisco/aci/plugins/modules/aci_rest.py", line 376, in main
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/json/__init__.py", line 357, in loads
    return _default_decoder.decode(s)
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/json/decoder.py", line 337, in decode
    obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/json/decoder.py", line 355, in raw_decode
    raise JSONDecodeError("Expecting value", s, err.value) from None
json.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

JSONDecodeError occurs when xml file is specified in src when using aci_rest module.

- name: xml file push using Ansible aci_rest module
  aci_rest:
    host: '{{ aci_endpoint }}'
    username: '{{ aci_user }}'
    password: '{{ aci_pass }}'
    validate_certs: False
    method: post
    path: /api/mo/uni.xml
    src: "sample.xml"

Expected Behavior

The object would be added to the APIC.

TASK [xmlpush : xml file push using Ansible aci_rest module] ****************************************************************
ok: [localhost -> localhost] => (item=sample.xml)

PLAY RECAP ******************************************************************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=1    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

Actual Behavior

The full traceback is:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1654215599.9376042-118-106740548368113/AnsiballZ_aci_rest.py", line 100, in <module>
    _ansiballz_main()
  File "/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1654215599.9376042-118-106740548368113/AnsiballZ_aci_rest.py", line 92, in _ansiballz_main
    invoke_module(zipped_mod, temp_path, ANSIBALLZ_PARAMS)
  File "/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1654215599.9376042-118-106740548368113/AnsiballZ_aci_rest.py", line 40, in invoke_module
    runpy.run_module(mod_name='ansible_collections.cisco.aci.plugins.modules.aci_rest', init_globals=dict(_module_fqn='ansible_collections.cisco.aci.plugins.modules.aci_rest', _modlib_path=modlib_path),
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/runpy.py", line 207, in run_module
    return _run_module_code(code, init_globals, run_name, mod_spec)
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/runpy.py", line 97, in _run_module_code
    _run_code(code, mod_globals, init_globals,
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/runpy.py", line 87, in _run_code
    exec(code, run_globals)
  File "/tmp/ansible_aci_rest_payload_f_19tas6/ansible_aci_rest_payload.zip/ansible_collections/cisco/aci/plugins/modules/aci_rest.py", line 451, in <module>
  File "/tmp/ansible_aci_rest_payload_f_19tas6/ansible_aci_rest_payload.zip/ansible_collections/cisco/aci/plugins/modules/aci_rest.py", line 376, in main
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/json/__init__.py", line 357, in loads
    return _default_decoder.decode(s)
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/json/decoder.py", line 337, in decode
    obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.8/json/decoder.py", line 355, in raw_decode
    raise JSONDecodeError("Expecting value", s, err.value) from None
json.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)
failed: [localhost -> localhost] (item=sample.xml) => {
    "changed": false,
    "item": "sample.xml",
    "module_stderr": "Traceback (most recent call last):\n  File \"/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1654215599.9376042-118-106740548368113/AnsiballZ_aci_rest.py\", line 100, in <module>\n    _ansiballz_main()\n  File \"/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1654215599.9376042-118-106740548368113/AnsiballZ_aci_rest.py\", line 92, in _ansiballz_main\n    invoke_module(zipped_mod, temp_path, ANSIBALLZ_PARAMS)\n  File \"/root/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1654215599.9376042-118-106740548368113/AnsiballZ_aci_rest.py\", line 40, in invoke_module\n    runpy.run_module(mod_name='ansible_collections.cisco.aci.plugins.modules.aci_rest', init_globals=dict(_module_fqn='ansible_collections.cisco.aci.plugins.modules.aci_rest', _modlib_path=modlib_path),\n  File \"/usr/lib64/python3.8/runpy.py\", line 207, in run_module\n    return _run_module_code(code, init_globals, run_name, mod_spec)\n  File \"/usr/lib64/python3.8/runpy.py\", line 97, in _run_module_code\n    _run_code(code, mod_globals, init_globals,\n  File \"/usr/lib64/python3.8/runpy.py\", line 87, in _run_code\n    exec(code, run_globals)\n  File \"/tmp/ansible_aci_rest_payload_f_19tas6/ansible_aci_rest_payload.zip/ansible_collections/cisco/aci/plugins/modules/aci_rest.py\", line 451, in <module>\n  File \"/tmp/ansible_aci_rest_payload_f_19tas6/ansible_aci_rest_payload.zip/ansible_collections/cisco/aci/plugins/modules/aci_rest.py\", line 376, in main\n  File \"/usr/lib64/python3.8/json/__init__.py\", line 357, in loads\n    return _default_decoder.decode(s)\n  File \"/usr/lib64/python3.8/json/decoder.py\", line 337, in decode\n    obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())\n  File \"/usr/lib64/python3.8/json/decoder.py\", line 355, in raw_decode\n    raise JSONDecodeError(\"Expecting value\", s, err.value) from None\njson.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)\n",
    "module_stdout": "",
    "msg": "MODULE FAILURE\nSee stdout/stderr for the exact error",
    "rc": 1
}