expect

README

Expect.lua for Windows

• A tool like expect on Linux.
• The syntax of scripts is exactly same with Lua 5.1 except for some functions.
  • The reference manuals of Lua 5.1 exist in the Lua official site.
    Please see https://www.lua.org/docs.html
  • Except.lua uses GopherLua as the VM for Lua.
• These functions are extended in Expect.lua
  • RC=expect(A,B,C...) accesses CONOUT$ directly and watches the cursor-line (0.1 seconds interval)
    • When A was found in cursor-line, RC=0
    • When B was found in cursor-line, RC=1
    • When C was found in cursor-line, RC=2
    • :
    • When error occured, RC=-1
    • When timeout occurs, RC=-2 (set variable like timeout=(SECONDS),default 1 hour)
    • When RC >= 0, these global variables are set.
      • _MATCH - The string matched.
      • _MATCHPOSITION - The position where matched.
      • _MATCHLINE - The matched whole line.
      • _PREMATCH - The string preceding matched.
      • _POSTMATCH - The string following matched.
  • send(TEXT) sends TEXT to the terminal as keyboard events.
    • send(TEXT,MS) waits MS [m-seconds] per 1-character (for plink.exe)
  • sendln() is same as send() but append CR.
  • PID=spawn(NAME,ARG1,ARG2,...) starts applications and
    • On success, PID is process-id(integer).
    • On failure, PID is nil.
  • echo() controls echoback
    • echo(true): echo on
    • echo(false): echo off
    • echo("..."): print a string
  • arg[] contains commandline arguments (arg[0] is scriptname)
  • kill(PROCESS-ID) kills the process. (v0.4.0~)
  • spawnctx(NAME,ARG1,ARG2,...) is similar with spawn() but the process started by spawnctx is killed automatically when Ctrl-C is pressed. (v0.5.0~)
  • wait(PID) waits the process of PID terminates.

Install

Download the binary package from Releases and extract the executable.

Sample

sample.lua:

echo(true)
if spawn([[c:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\ssh.exe]],"foo@example.com") then
    expect("password:")
    echo(false)
    send("PASSWORD\r")
    expect("~]$")
    echo(true)
    send("exit\r")
end

On the command prompt:

$ expect.exe sample.lua
foo@example.com's password:
Last login: Thu Jun 15 13:21:57 2017 from XXXXXXXXXXXX.XXXX.XX.XXX.XXX.XXXXXXX.XX.XX
FreeBSD 9.1-RELEASE-p24 (XXXXXXXX) #0: Thu Feb  5 10:03:29 JST 2015

Welcome to FreeBSD!

[foo@XXXXXXX ~]$ exit
logout
Connection to example.com closed.

The script embedded in the batchfile:

@expect.exe "%~f0"
@exit /b

-- Lines starting with '@' are replaced to '--@' by expect.exe
-- to embed the script into the batchfile.

echo(true)
if spawn([[c:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\ssh.exe]],"foo@example.com") then
    expect("password:")
    echo(false)
    send("PASSWORD\r")
    expect("~]$")
    echo(true)
    send("exit\r")
end