Toolbox

The Toolbox is a collection of scripts designed to automate one-off data tasks such as exporting, importing, and analyzing data. In scenarios where you need to perform ad-hoc operations, this toolbox ensures you always get a standardized YAML output that can be easily manipulated, imported, or modified in other modules.

Purpose and Motivation

Many workflows involve repetitive, manual data handling tasks that are both time-consuming and prone to errors. The Toolbox aims to streamline these processes by:

• Reusability: Every execution produces a consistent YAML output that can be reused across various applications.
• Modularity: The standardized YAML format facilitates seamless integration into different workflows.
• Efficiency: Automating one-off tasks minimizes manual effort and reduces the chance of errors, delivering quick and reliable results.

Main Features

• Data Export and Import: Extract data from various sources and convert it into a unified YAML format.
• Ad-hoc Analysis: Run spontaneous analyses with outputs delivered directly in YAML.
• Standardized Outputs: Each script run produces a YAML file that serves as a solid foundation for further processing or integration.

Installation

pip install toolbox

Or, if you are installing from source:

git clone <repository-url>
cd toolbox
pip install .

Usage

1. CLI

Run a specific module directly from the command line by specifying its fully qualified module name along with the required parameters.

Example:

toolbox toolbox.builtin.vmware.get_vms -l WIN
python -m toolbox toolbox.builtin.vmware.get_vms -l WIN

In this example, the module toolbox.builtin.vmware.get_vms is invoked with the parameter limit set to WIN.

2. Python

You can also run the toolbox modules directly within your Python scripts. This allows you to programmatically execute a module and process its output.

Example:

import toolbox
tb = Toolbox(config={
  'vmware': {
    'host': 'vcenter.local',
    'user': 'username',
    'password': 'password'
  }
})
result = tb.run('toolbox.builtin.vmware.get_vms', args={
    'limit': 'WIN'
})
print(result)

This example shows how to call the module toolbox.builtin.vmware.get_vms with the parameter limit provided.

3. Ansible

The toolbox can also be used as an Ansible module, enabling you to integrate its functionality into your playbooks.

Example Ansible task:

- name: Get VMs
  toolbox:
    module: toolbox.builtin.vmware.get_vms
    limit: WIN
  register: win_vms

In this task, the module toolbox.builtin.vmware.get_vms is executed with the parameter limit set to WIN, and the output is stored in the variable win_vms.

Contributing

Contributions to improve the Toolbox are welcome. If you have suggestions, improvements, or bug fixes, please submit a pull request or open an issue in the repository.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.