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INDEX ENTRY FOR EXPECT:
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Name: Expect - Controls interactive programs
Version: 5.24
Author(s): Don Libes <libes@nist.gov>
Awards, love letters, and bug reports may be sent to:
Don Libes
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Bldg 220, Rm A-127
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
(301) 975-3535
libes@nist.gov
On the CD-ROM in: sysadm/expect.tar
Ftp source: ftp.nist.gov:/mel/div826/subject/expect
Web page: http://expect.nist.gov
Size on the CD: 1.3 MB (partially compressed)
Description:
Expect is a program that "talks" to other interactive programs according
to a script. Following the script, Expect knows what can be expected
from a program and what the correct response should be. An interpreted
language provides branching and high-level control structures to direct
the dialogue. In addition, the user can take control and interact
directly when desired, afterward returning control to the script.
Expectk is a mixture of Expect and Tk. It behaves just like Expect and
Tk's wish. Expect can also be used directly in C, C++, or Python (that
is, without Tcl). See libexpect(3).
The name "Expect" comes from the idea of send/expect sequences popular-
ized by uucp, kermit and other modem control programs. However unlike
uucp, Expect is generalized so that it can be run as a user-level com-
mand with any program and task in mind. can actually talk to several
programs at the same time.
+ Cause your computer to dial you back, so that you can login
without paying for the call.
+ Start a game (e.g., rogue) and if the optimal configuration
doesn't appear, restart it (again and again) until it does,
then hand over control to you.
+ Run fsck, and in response to its questions, answer "yes", "no"
or give control back to you, based on predetermined criteria.
+ Connect to another network or BBS (e.g., MCI Mail, CompuServe)
and automatically retrieve your mail so that it appears as if
it was originally sent to your local system.
+ Carry environment variables, current directory, or any kind of
information across rlogin, telnet, tip, su, chgrp, etc.
There are a variety of reasons why the shell cannot perform these tasks.
(Try, you'll see.) All are possible with Expect.
In general, Expect is useful for running any program which requires
interaction between the program and the user. All that is necessary is
that the interaction can be characterized programmatically. Expect can
also give the user back control (without halting the program being con-
trolled) if desired. Similarly, the user can return control to the
script at any time.
-- Quoted from manpage by Don Libes in the expect 5.20 distribution
Advertised architectures:
I do not know of any systems which Expect will not run on. Systems
which do not support select or poll can use Expect, but without the
ability to run multiple processes simultaneously. I am willing to
work with you to complete a port.
-- Quoted from README by Don Libes in the expect 5.20 distribution
Prerequisites: A version of: Tcl 7.5 or 7.6. Expect works with Tk
4.1 or 4.2 and all other extensions compatible with these versions
of Tcl. Expect 5.24 also supports Tcl 8 and Tk 8.