[BUG] We need 'pure_address' use type for IP address validation

[ipspace]

Next hops in static routes are another example of IP addresses that cannot be prefixes and cannot take int or bool values. Looks like we have to differentiate between 'subnet_address' (which can be int or bool) and 'address' (which must be a string but without the prefix length).

I will try to change all current validation definitions to use 'subnet_address', and use 'address' for real IP addresses. This seems cleaner than inventing another 'really_an_address' keyword.

[jbemmel]

We could follow ipaddr: https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/ansible/utils/docsite/filters_ipaddr.html

• address for a "pure_address"
• host_prefix for an address with host bits set and a subnet prefix
• subnet_prefix for an address with host bits cleared

[ddutt]

Why not use native python types?

[ipspace]

Why not use native python types?

We are using native python types (and libraries) behind the scenes, but we also have to do data structure validation, and because I didn't want to go full-YANG, I wrote my own validator.

That thing can validate (among other things) IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and prefixes, but you have to specify how you plan to use them -- prefixes can't have host bits, addresses can't have all-zero or all-one host bits. Then there's the option of having unnumbered interface addresses and specifying interface IP address as int (offset in subnet), whereas these same options are not valid for an IPv4/IPv6 address used as a next hop in a static route.

[ddutt]

Oh, so these are just types that you're using for validation? I missed that. I was responding to the last message in the thread. Sorry