0. README.md

Hmm, annoying. I was hoping to be able to say "if this isn't a list, and isn't a dict, then it might be a string" but instead "is sequence" returns true for list and dict and string... https://gist.github.com/JonTheNiceGuy/d19c26ed6ff7621fde1e84ceda8a473f

1. playbook.yml

---
- hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: false
  vars:
    a_list: ['1', '2', '3']
    a_dict: {'a': 'value', 'b': 'value'}
    a_string: "abc123"
    a_list_of_dicts: [{'a': 'value'}, {'a': 'value'}]
  tasks:
  - debug:
      msg: |
       [
        "a_list is a list? {{ a_list is sequence() }}",
        "a_list is a dict? {{ a_list is mapping() }}",
        "a_list is neither? {{ (not a_list is sequence()) and (not a_list is mapping()) }}",
        "",
        "a_dict is a list? {{ a_dict is sequence() }}",
        "a_dict is a dict? {{ a_dict is mapping() }}",
        "a_dict is neither? {{ (not a_dict is sequence()) and (not a_dict is mapping()) }}",
        "",
        "a_string is a list? {{ a_string is sequence() }}",
        "a_string is a dict? {{ a_string is mapping() }}",
        "a_string is neither? {{ (not a_string is sequence()) and (not a_string is mapping()) }}",
        "",
        "a_list_of_dicts is a list? {{ a_list_of_dicts is sequence() }}",
        "a_list_of_dicts is a dict? {{ a_list_of_dicts is mapping() }}",
        "a_list_of_dicts is neither? {{ (not a_list_of_dicts is sequence()) and (not a_list_of_dicts is mapping()) }}"
       ]

2. expected_result.txt

 [WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available

 [WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that the implicit localhost does not match 'all'


PLAY [localhost] *******************************************************************************************************************

TASK [debug] ***********************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": [
        "a_list is a list? True",
        "a_list is a dict? False",
        "a_list is neither? False",
        "",
        "a_dict is a list? False",
        "a_dict is a dict? True",
        "a_dict is neither? False",
        "",
        "a_string is a list? False",
        "a_string is a dict? False",
        "a_string is neither? True",
        "",
        "a_list_of_dicts is a list? True",
        "a_list_of_dicts is a dict? False",
        "a_list_of_dicts is neither? False"
    ]
}

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

3. actual result.txt

 [WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available

 [WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that the implicit localhost does not match 'all'


PLAY [localhost] *******************************************************************************************************************

TASK [debug] ***********************************************************************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": [
        "a_list is a list? True",
        "a_list is a dict? False",
        "a_list is neither? False",
        "",
        "a_dict is a list? True",
        "a_dict is a dict? True",
        "a_dict is neither? False",
        "",
        "a_string is a list? True",
        "a_string is a dict? False",
        "a_string is neither? False",
        "",
        "a_list_of_dicts is a list? True",
        "a_list_of_dicts is a dict? False",
        "a_list_of_dicts is neither? False"
    ]
}

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