expect

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 Go to latest Published: Oct 25, 2026 License: Apache-2.0 Imports: 16 Imported by: 0

README

go-expect

A Go library for scripted conversations with interactive programs and duplex streams. It supports literal/regexp matching, exp_continue-style callbacks, reusable password/confirmation/paging rules, cancellation, bounded buffers and explicit secret redaction.

import expect "github.com/gatework/go-expect"

Requires Go 1.26+. The PTY adapter is supported and tested on Linux and macOS. This is an API evolution of Netflix/go-expect; see migration. The original Apache-2.0 license and copyright notices are retained.

Password, confirmation and paging

Start with an already connected io.ReadWriteCloser (for example net.Conn), or create a Console and attach its Tty() to a caller-owned exec.Cmd. A successful NewSession takes exclusive ownership of the stream, including closing it. The stream's Close must interrupt both Read and Write.

s, err := expect.NewSession(conn)
if err != nil {
    return err // conn still belongs to the caller
}
defer s.Close()

// Register before the secret can be sent or echoed.
if err := s.Redact(password); err != nil {
    return err
}
login, err := expect.NewResponder(expect.Rule{
    Pattern: expect.Literal("Password:"),
    Respond: expect.Reply(password + "\r"),
})
if err != nil {
    return err
}
if _, err := login.Expect(ctx, s, []expect.Pattern{
    expect.Literal("device>"),
}); err != nil {
    return err
}

rules, err := expect.NewResponder(
    expect.Rule{
        Pattern: expect.Literal("Apply change? [y/N] "),
        Respond: expect.Reply("y\r"),
        Limit: 2,
    },
    expect.Rule{
        Pattern: expect.Literal("--More--"),
        Respond: expect.Reply(" "),
        Limit: 100,
    },
)
if err != nil {
    return err
}
for _,command := range commands {
    if _, err := s.Send(ctx, command + "\r"); err != nil {
        return err
    }
    if _, err := rules.Expect(ctx, s, []expect.Pattern{
        expect.Literal("device>"),
    }); err != nil {
        return err
    }
}

Use a parent context deadline to bound the entire operation. A returned prompt means the prompt matched; inspect device-specific failure output separately. There are no built-in "answer yes to everything" rules, host-key acceptance, connection establishment or command retries.

A complete runnable example, including dynamic regexp replies:

go run ./examples/dialogue

It simulates a local device with net.Pipe; it does not connect to a real device.

Continue matching

result, err := s.Expect(ctx, []expect.Case{
    {
        Pattern: expect.Literal("Password:"),
        Handler: func(ctx context.Context, s *expect.Session, r expect.Result) (expect.Action, error) {
            _, err := s.Send(ctx, password + "\r")
            return expect.ContinueWithoutReset, err
        },
    },
    {Pattern: expect.Literal("device>")},
}, expect.WithTimeout(30*time.Second))

Continue resets the relative timer. ContinueWithoutReset preserves it. Neither extends the parent context deadline. Responder uses the latter. Result contains the final segment only; install WithTranscript(writer) to record the filtered receive history across intermediate responses.

PTY and processes

c, err := expect.NewConsole(
    expect.WithSessionOptions(expect.WithDefaultTimeout(10*time.Second)),
)
if err != nil {
    return err
}
defer c.Close()
cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "your-program", "literal-argument")
cmd.Stdin, cmd.Stdout, cmd.Stderr = c.Tty(), c.Tty(), c.Tty()
if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
    return err
}
// The child has inherited the slave. Release the parent's copy for EOF.
c.Tty().Close()
// Use c.Session().Expect / Send; always arrange cmd.Wait and failure cleanup.

Console does not own the child process. WithRaw() is available for applications requiring unbuffered keys and no terminal echo; canonical mode is the default. See the complete process cleanup and device dialogue in console_test.go.

Contracts and verification

API contracts describe matching, deadlines, error recovery, ownership, thread safety and redaction. Test utilities live in expecttest.

bash script/ci

This runs format checks, module verification, vet, race tests (including local PTY), fuzz smokes, benchmarks, the dialogue example and an independent consumer module. CI covers Linux/macOS on Go 1.26 and 1.27. Local tests and CI runs are separate evidence; neither substitutes for real device interoperability.

Automatic releases

Each push to master publishes a release after the complete CI gate passes. Versions start at v0.1.0 and increment the patch number automatically. The publisher reuses the exact CI source artifact, verifies uploaded checksums and bytes, and resumes interrupted drafts without replacing published assets. PRs and feature branches do not publish. See release operations for version policy, retries, queue behavior and local validation commands.

Documentation

Overview

Package expect automates interactive byte streams with bounded waits, continuation callbacks and reusable response rules. Session owns a supplied duplex transport; Console adapts a PTY on Linux and macOS. Callers own process lifecycle, connection establishment, device policy and command success checks.

Matching uses unmodified input. Diagnostics and output copies use explicit streaming secret redaction. Result fields are raw, detached snapshots.

Copyright 2018 Netflix, Inc. Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy at https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Index

Constants

This section is empty.

Variables

View Source 
var (
	ErrClosed      = errors.New("expect: session closed")
	ErrBusy        = errors.New("expect: another expect operation is active")
	ErrTimeout     = errors.New("expect: timeout")
	ErrIdleTimeout = errors.New("expect: idle timeout")
	ErrBufferLimit = errors.New("expect: buffer limit reached")
	ErrEmptyMatch  = errors.New("expect: empty match")
)

Functions

This section is empty.

Types

type Action 

type Action uint8

Action determines whether a matched Case returns or continues waiting. 

const (
	Return Action = iota + 1
	Continue
	ContinueWithoutReset
)

type Capture 

type Capture struct {
	Text    string
	Matched bool
}

Capture distinguishes an unmatched optional group from an empty matched group.

func (Capture) GoString 

func (c Capture) GoString() string

func (Capture) String 

func (Capture) String() string

type Case 

type Case struct {
	Pattern Pattern
	Handler Handler
}

Case associates a pattern with an optional handler (nil means Return).

func (Case) GoString 

func (c Case) GoString() string

func (Case) String 

func (Case) String() string

type Console 

type Console struct {
	// contains filtered or unexported fields
}

Console adapts an owned PTY to Session. It does not start, wait for, signal or reap processes. Tty is intended for a caller-owned exec.Cmd or local device.

func NewConsole 

func NewConsole(opts ...ConsoleOption) (*Console, error)

NewConsole creates a PTY and a Session. Failure closes every acquired handle.

func (*Console) Close 

func (c *Console) Close() error

Close closes the Session and both PTY handles, not any attached process.

func (*Console) Session 

func (c *Console) Session() *Session

Session returns the single owner of Console's matching and sending operations.

func (*Console) Tty 

func (c *Console) Tty() *os.File

Tty returns the slave; the master is intentionally not exposed for competing reads. Close the parent's slave after starting a process when waiting for process EOF.

type ConsoleOption 

type ConsoleOption func(*consoleOptions) error

ConsoleOption configures the PTY adapter.

func WithRaw 

func WithRaw() ConsoleOption

WithRaw configures the slave in raw mode, including disabling echo.

func WithSessionOptions 

func WithSessionOptions(opts ...SessionOption) ConsoleOption

WithSessionOptions configures the Console's underlying Session.

type Event 

type Event struct {
	Operation        string
	CaseIndex, Bytes int
	Error            string
}

Event contains metadata only. Error is a classification, never a raw message.

type ExpectOption 

type ExpectOption func(*expectOptions) error

ExpectOption changes the timing of a single Expect operation.

func WithIdleTimeout 

func WithIdleTimeout(d time.Duration) ExpectOption

WithIdleTimeout limits time without new input; zero disables it.

func WithTimeout 

func WithTimeout(d time.Duration) ExpectOption

WithTimeout sets the relative timer, including elapsed callback time. Zero disables it. Continue can reset it; context deadlines cannot be reset.

type Handler 

type Handler func(context.Context, *Session, Result) (Action, error)

Handler runs after consumption, outside internal locks. It may send or close, but may not call Expect recursively on the same Session.

type Observer 

type Observer func(Event)

Observer is invoked once per completed public Expect or Send operation. Observers run synchronously outside locks and must not block indefinitely.

type Pattern 

type Pattern struct {
	// contains filtered or unexported fields
}

Pattern is an immutable literal, regular expression, EOF or All pattern. Its zero value is invalid. It never contains per-operation match state.

func All 

func All(patterns ...Pattern) Pattern

All matches all supplied text patterns, in any order, consuming through the last match. Repeated patterns may refer to the same bytes. Captures are omitted.

func Compile 

func Compile(expr string) (Pattern, error)

Compile compiles a Go regular expression. Empty matches are rejected at runtime.

func EOF 

func EOF() Pattern

EOF matches a clean end of input, after buffered text has been matched.

func Literal 

func Literal(text string) Pattern

Literal matches a nonempty byte string, including arbitrary binary data.

func (Pattern) GoString 

func (p Pattern) GoString() string

func (Pattern) String 

func (p Pattern) String() string

type Responder 

type Responder struct {
	// contains filtered or unexported fields
}

Responder is an immutable rule set, safe to reuse across different sessions. Rule counts are local to each call; callback closures remain caller-owned.

func NewResponder 

func NewResponder(rules ...Rule) (*Responder, error)

NewResponder validates and snapshots rules without accessing a session.

func (*Responder) Expect 

func (r *Responder) Expect(ctx context.Context, s *Session, completion []Pattern, opts ...ExpectOption) (Result, error)

Expect responds to registered prompts while waiting for a completion pattern. Completion wins only same-position ties. Responses preserve the original relative timer. The returned CaseIndex indexes completion, or is -1 on failure.

func (*Responder) GoString 

func (r *Responder) GoString() string

func (*Responder) String 

func (r *Responder) String() string

type Response 

type Response func(context.Context, *Session, Result) error

Response sends a reply or performs a caller-defined action for a matched rule. It must return write errors; actions are never automatically retried.

func Reply 

func Reply(text string) Response

Reply returns an action that sends text verbatim, including explicit line ends.

type ResponseError 

type ResponseError struct{ RuleIndex int }

ResponseError identifies a response rule that exceeded its per-call limit.

func (*ResponseError) Error 

func (e *ResponseError) Error() string

type Result 

type Result struct {
	CaseIndex     int
	Before, Match string
	Captures      []Capture
}

Result is a detached snapshot of the final match, not the whole conversation. Before contains pending input on failure; CaseIndex is -1 without a match. Explicit fields contain unredacted bytes; formatting emits only metadata.

func (Result) GoString 

func (r Result) GoString() string

func (Result) String 

func (r Result) String() string

type Rule 

type Rule struct {
	Pattern Pattern
	Respond Response
	Limit   int
}

Rule describes a reusable automatic response. Limit zero means one response per Expect, negative is invalid, positive sets an explicit finite limit.

func (Rule) GoString 

func (r Rule) GoString() string

func (Rule) String 

func (Rule) String() string

type Session 

type Session struct {
	// contains filtered or unexported fields
}

Session owns one duplex transport and one matching buffer. The transport must support concurrent Read/Write and guarantee Close interrupts both. After a successful NewSession, callers must not perform I/O on that transport. Expect is exclusive. Send is serialized; Close and Redact are concurrency safe. Do not copy a Session. Callback and output execution is cooperative.

func NewSession 

func NewSession(transport io.ReadWriteCloser, opts ...SessionOption) (*Session, error)

NewSession transfers transport ownership only on success. Options are validated before any reads, writes or closes take place.

func (*Session) Close 

func (s *Session) Close() error

Close interrupts I/O and joins owned workers. It never waits for application callbacks or closes borrowed output writers. Repeated calls return the same error.

func (*Session) Expect 

func (s *Session) Expect(ctx context.Context, cases []Case, opts ...ExpectOption) (Result, error)

Expect consumes input through the earliest currently visible match. Ties use declaration order. Continuations consume their match and rescan the remaining buffer, without rereading or replaying bytes. Context cancellation and timeout leave unmatched input available to a subsequent call.

func (*Session) Redact 

func (s *Session) Redact(secrets ...string) error

Redact adds nonempty literal secrets before sending or receiving them. Registration cannot retract bytes already delivered to output writers.

func (*Session) Send 

func (s *Session) Send(ctx context.Context, text string) (n int, err error)

Send writes text once. No partial write is retried. A failure after entering transport.Write closes the Session and returns its progress in WriteError. An invalid transport count is rejected and reported as zero.

func (*Session) SendLine 

func (s *Session) SendLine(ctx context.Context, text string) (int, error)

SendLine appends the configured line ending (LF by default).

type SessionOption 

type SessionOption func(*sessionOptions) error

SessionOption configures a Session before it takes ownership of the transport.

func WithBufferLimit 

func WithBufferLimit(n int) SessionOption

WithBufferLimit bounds unconsumed matching input; overflow never discards data.

func WithDefaultTimeout 

func WithDefaultTimeout(d time.Duration) SessionOption

WithDefaultTimeout sets the relative Expect timeout; zero disables it.

func WithLineEnding 

func WithLineEnding(s string) SessionOption

WithLineEnding selects LF, CR or CRLF for SendLine. Send and Reply are verbatim.

func WithLogger 

func WithLogger(l *log.Logger) SessionOption

WithLogger enables metadata-only diagnostics; payloads and causes are omitted.

func WithObserver 

func WithObserver(observers ...Observer) SessionOption

WithObserver adds metadata observers in declaration order.

func WithOutput 

func WithOutput(writers ...io.Writer) SessionOption

WithOutput copies received input through the streaming secret filter. Writers are borrowed, synchronous and must not reenter Session methods. Failure closes the Session; delivery to earlier writers is not replayed.

func WithTranscript 

func WithTranscript(w io.Writer) SessionOption

WithTranscript records the same filtered receive stream as WithOutput.

func WithWriteTimeout 

func WithWriteTimeout(d time.Duration) SessionOption

WithWriteTimeout bounds each Send, including serialization wait; zero disables it.

type WriteError 

type WriteError struct {
	Written int
	Cause   error
}

WriteError reports a failed, non-retryable write. Error never prints payloads or the underlying error message; Unwrap exposes the original cause explicitly.

func (*WriteError) Error 

func (e *WriteError) Error() string

func (*WriteError) GoString 

func (e *WriteError) GoString() string

func (*WriteError) Unwrap 

func (e *WriteError) Unwrap() error

Source Files

View all Source files

Directories

Path Synopsis
examples
dialogue command
Command dialogue runs a local simulated device; no network connection is made.
 Command dialogue runs a local simulated device; no network connection is made.
Package expecttest provides test-owned PTY consoles without logging goroutines.
 Package expecttest provides test-owned PTY consoles without logging goroutines.

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