NAME

CliDriver - execute and control subprocesses with Expect

EXAMPLE

package require CliDriver

set p [CliDriver::Spawn #auto telnet localhost]

set count 0
set timeout 5

$p expect {
    "*assword*:*" {
        $p send "password\n"
        exp_continue
    }
    "*ogin*:*" {
        $p send "user\n"
        exp_continue
    }
    "*user@host*" {
        # done
    }
    timeout {
        incr count

        if {$count > 3} {
            error "Timed out during login procedure."
        }

        exp_continue
    }
}

DESCRIPTION

The CliDriver API is an object-oriented wrapper around expect(1). It allows you to automate shell sessions by launching and controlling interactive command line applications from a Tcl script.

The main goal of the module is to alleviate the need for juggling with spawn ids and to encapsulate and simplify initialization sequences and subprocess management.

API

itcl::class CliDriver::Core

method expect ??-opts? pat1 body1? ... ?-opts? patn bodyn

Works exactly like the traditional `expect` call described in `expect`(1) but is always bound to the subprocess associated with this object.

method send ?-flags? string

Works exactly like the traditional `send` call described in `expect`(1) but is always bound to the subprocess associated with this object.

method close

Closes the connection to and terminates the subprocess associated with this object.

method kill

Kills the subprocess. On Unix this is equivalent to sending a SIGKILL.

method match_max ?size?

Sets or gets the maximum match buffer size for the `spawn_id` associated with this object.

method pid

Returns the process ID of the subprocess.

method process_exists

Returns true while the subprocess has not exited.

method terminate

Terminates the subprocess. On Unix this is equivalent to sending a SIGTERM.

itcl::class CliDriver::Spawn

Inherits all methods from CliDriver::Core.

constructor cmd ?arg arg ...?

Launch *cmd* and pass on any additional arguments unmodified.

itcl::class CliDriver::Telnet

Inherits all methods from CliDriver::Core.

constructor ?arg arg ...? host

Launch the `telnet` command installed on the system and pass on any additional arguments unmodified.

itcl::class CliDriver::Ssh

Inherits all methods from CliDriver::Core.

constructor ?arg arg ...? user@host

Launch the `ssh` command installed on the system and pass on any additional arguments unmodified.

itcl::class CliDriver::Stty

Inherits all methods from CliDriver::Core.

constructor ?-baud int? ?-parity bool? ?-data_bits int? ?-stop_bits int? port

Create an expect session on the given serial *port* to talk to a program at the other end of a serial line, where *port* denotes a serial device node, such as `/dev/ttyS0`.

ADDITIONAL HINTS

Deleting a driver object that is associated with an active process, using itcl::delete object, will implicitely terminate the process.

SEE ALSO

expect(1), itcl(3)