命令行界面和过程控制

Question

Given a process which accept command line input as below

 $ ./app
 > init
 initialized.
 > start
 started.
 > stop
 stopped.

Is it possible to write a shell script or another C program which trigger ./app, and inject command sequentially? Let say the script-to-be-written will inject string "init", and wait for reply string "initialized.", then inject "start", and wait for reply "started.", and so on.

Answer 1

The Unix expect tool has been created for exactly this scenario. You provide a script where you state the expected string (like initialized ) and declare the appropriate action following that string. Of course there is also some kind of "START" thing.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expect for examples.