vm_loop_sequence.yml

---
- hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: false
  connection: local
  vars:
    # Defines number of VMs to create
    vm_count: 10
    # Defines VM naming
    vm_naming: vm
    # Defines VM number to start with
    vm_start: 0
    # Defines VM number stepping
    vm_step: 1
  tasks:
    - name: VM Loop Sequence
      debug:
        msg: "{{ vm_naming + ('0' + item|string if item < 10 else item|string) }}"
      loop: "{{ range(vm_start, vm_count, vm_step)|list }}"

    - name: Create VM Group
      add_host:
        group: VMS
        host: "{{ vm_naming + ('0' + item|string if item < 10 else item|string) }}"
      loop: "{{ range(vm_start, vm_count, vm_step)|list }}"

    - debug: var=groups['VMS']

(default-python-2) ➜  sequence_loops ansible-playbook vm_loop_sequence.yml
 [WARNING]: Unable to parse /etc/ansible/hosts as an inventory source

 [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 [VM Loop Sequence] ********************************************************
ok: [localhost] => (item=0) => {
    "msg": "vm00"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item=1) => {
    "msg": "vm01"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item=2) => {
    "msg": "vm02"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item=3) => {
    "msg": "vm03"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item=4) => {
    "msg": "vm04"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item=5) => {
    "msg": "vm05"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item=6) => {
    "msg": "vm06"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item=7) => {
    "msg": "vm07"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item=8) => {
    "msg": "vm08"
}
ok: [localhost] => (item=9) => {
    "msg": "vm09"
}

TASK [Create VM Group] *********************************************************
changed: [localhost] => (item=0)
changed: [localhost] => (item=1)
changed: [localhost] => (item=2)
changed: [localhost] => (item=3)
changed: [localhost] => (item=4)
changed: [localhost] => (item=5)
changed: [localhost] => (item=6)
changed: [localhost] => (item=7)
changed: [localhost] => (item=8)
changed: [localhost] => (item=9)

TASK [debug] *******************************************************************
ok: [localhost] => {
    "groups['VMS']": [
        "vm00",
        "vm01",
        "vm02",
        "vm03",
        "vm04",
        "vm05",
        "vm06",
        "vm07",
        "vm08",
        "vm09"
    ]
}

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=3    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0

(default-python-2) ➜