BASH scripting problem

danreed007 · 04-23-2006, 10:35 AM

Hi

Im starting to write BASH scripts to automate some of my analysis. Ive been trying to find out how to do something but I cannot find it on the web or in books so could any of you pros please help me...

Basically, in my script I execute an analysis program which opens up its own command line within which I type analysis commands, then I exit to return back to the bash prompt, like so:

~> program #start program

program> command1 #Enter program commands
program> command2
program> exit #Exit program, back to bash shell

~>

The problem is that I dont how to script all this in bash, i.e. enter all the external commands for my analysis program and exit the program subshell. Can any of you help.

I came across something that apparently works in tcsh, the 'comm' parameter is used to supply external commands, it would go like this:

~> program comm="command1 & command2 & exit"

Could any of you please help, and give me advice on how to do it in bash?

Thanks

raskin · 04-23-2006, 10:46 AM

try redirecting input:

Code:

prog <file
prog <<EOF
cmd
exit
EOF
prog <<<'cmd
exit';

Dark_Helmet · 04-23-2006, 02:33 PM

I've never used expect before, but I believe this kind of thing is what it was written to address.

Expect

/bin/bash · 04-24-2006, 03:38 AM

Never mind.

danreed007 · 04-24-2006, 04:51 AM

Thanks for your help guys but I managed to find a solution and its quite simple. From within the script I call 'program' and it requires two arguments, name of an input file and the name of the output file it will produce, it then proceeds to its command line interface where I enter my analysis commands, cmd1, cmd2 and then exit:

Code:

 program infile outfile comm="cmd1 && cmd2 && exit"

Once the program is called and its command line interface is opened, 'cmd1', 'cmd2' and then 'exit' are entered sequentially.

I actually thought that the 'comm' parameter, used above, was a bash builtin function or something but it is not, because the following also works:

Code:

 program infile outfile "cmd1 && cmd2 && exit"

So now, Im really confused. I dont understand why the declaration 'comm=...' works as input to the program interface, or why just giving the quoted string with logical && operators works? Can any you explain the semantics of this and what exactly bash is "thinking" when it does it?

Thanks all

raskin · 04-24-2006, 05:02 AM

What the program is? Looks like it is smart enough, so everything is passed as _arguments_ (not input) to the program and it manages to understand what do you want.