Merge pull request #13051 from gtmanfred/onlyif

Add documentation on altering states.

doc/ref/states/altering_states.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+.. _altering_states:
+
+===============
+Altering States
+===============
+
+.. note::
+
+    The ``unless``, ``onlyif``, and ``check_cmd`` options will be supported
+    starting with the feature release codenamed Helium
+
+The state altering system is used to make sure that states are evaluated exactly
+as the user expects.  It can be used to double check that a state preformed
+exactly how it was expected to, or to make 100% sure that a state only runs
+under certain conditions.  The use of unless or onlyif options help make states
+even more stateful.  The check_cmds option helps ensure that the result of a
+state is evaluated correctly.
+
+Unless
+------
+
+Use unless to only run if any of the specified commands return False.
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+    vim:
+      pkg.installed:
+        - unless:
+            - rpm -q vim-enhanced
+            - ls /usr/bin/vim
+
+This state will not run if the vim-enhanced package is already installed, or if
+/usr/bin/vim exists.  It gives more granular control over when a state should be
+run.
+
+Onlyif
+------
+
+Onlyif is the opposite of Unless.  If all of the commands in onlyif return True,
+then the state is run.
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+    stop-volume:
+      module.run:
+        - name: glusterfs.stop_volume
+        - m_name: work
+        - onlyif:
+            - gluster volume status work
+        - order: 1
+
+    remove-volume:
+      module.run:
+        - name: glusterfs.delete
+        - m_name: work
+        - onlyif:
+            - gluster volume info work
+        - watch:
+          - cmd: stop-volume
+
+This will ensure that the stop_volume and delete modules are only run if the
+gluster commands return back a 0 ret value.
+
+Check_Cmd
+---------
+
+Check Command is used for determining that a state did or did not run as
+expected.
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+    comment-repo:
+      file.replace:
+        - path: /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora.repo
+        - pattern: ^enabled=0
+        - repl: enabled=1
+        - check_cmd:
+            - grep 'enabled=0' /etc/yum.repos.d/fedora.repo && return 1 || return 0
+
+This will attempt to do a replace on all enabled=0 in the .repo file, and
+replace them with enabled=1.  The check_cmd is just a bash command.  It will do
+a grep for enabled=0 in the file, and if it finds any, it will return a 0, which
+will prompt the && portion of the command to return a 1, causing check_cmd to
+set the state as failed.  If it returns a 1, meaning it didn't find any
+'enabled=0' it will hit the || portion of the command, returning a 0, and
+declaring the function succeeded.
+
+Overriding Checks
+=================
+
+There are two commands used for the above checks.
+
+`mod_run_check` is used to check for onlyif and unless.  If the goal is to
+override the global check for these to variables, include a mod_run_check in the
+salt/states/ file.
+
+`mod_run_check_cmd` is used to check for the check_cmd options.  To override
+this one, include a mod_run_check_cmd in the states file for the state.

doc/ref/states/requisites.rst

@@ -430,3 +430,9 @@ be modified to function in the same way using ``prereq_in``:
         - prereq_in:
           - cmd: graceful-down
 
+Altering Statefulness
+=====================
+
+To alter if a state runs or not, or how the return data from a state is
+interpreted, :ref:`See the document on altering states. <altering_states>` for
+more information about pre and post run checks.