Expect-lite / News: Recent posts

Integrated Debugger Improvements
o Show Env - displays expect-lite counters, directive status, logging file name (if used), EL environment variables
o Improved instant-interact (break point) when stopped on a long expect wait time
Added Variable unset, useful for shell variables, and pseudo-arrays
Added user defined return code with *TERM <n>
Fixed fuzzy expect when looking for zero e.g. ~<(0)</n>

Release 4.1.0 fixes a few issues in the multi-session command *FORK, as well as introduces a new Library Mode, for integration into native TCL environments. It allows the integration of the ease of expect-lite scripting with more a complex TCL-based regression system

Version 4.0.1 is compatible with previous versions, but introduces a power new debugger supporting breakpoints, step/skip, copy/paste into a running script.
Added Env Var support: EL_CONNECT_METHOD, EL_CONNECT_USER, EL_CONNECT_ PASS, EL_DELAY_WAIT_FOR_HOST
Add $arg0 to <esc>v *SHOW VARs command
Added self test scripts for IDE
Native method to make scripts executable
#!/usr/bin/env expect-lite
Created bashrc as example for setting env vars to customize expect-lite

Added more logging control with *EXP_INFO (shows matching "expected" lines), added custom colour comment (;red this is a red comment), Added directive *PASS (a synonym for *TERM), updated man page.

Readied expect-lite to be included in the Ubuntu Distribution. Changes include: more linux-like arguments -r <host> -c <script> -d <user_dir>, default connect mode is "none", changed default timeout from 30 seconds to 10 seconds, added Man Page.

Release 3.6.2, adds fixes for better compatibility with Fanfare's iTest, Environment Variables which begin with EL_now automatically become Constants, and the 2010 Linux Symposium example script is included in Examples. Automation for the rest of us: http://expect-lite.sf.net/

Release 3.6.1 is a documentation release, there is no new functionality in expect-lite. However, there is a new tool which makes setting up ssh keys a breeze! (under Tools) And Windows/Cygwin is now better supported (look at test_masquerade.txt in Examples). And the website has a new look which hopefully will make finding things easier at http://expect-lite.sf.net/

Expect-lite grows up, turning 4 this month, making automation even easier. In this release, key features include, instant-interact for immediate debugging, almost-unlimited multiple sessions, and better control over logging info.

For example, the new feature, Instant-Interact, provides instant debugging assistance. Pressing ^\ (control+backslash) will force expect-lite to drop into interact mode, a mode which turns control of the keyboard over to the user, so that one may type directly to the process on the remote host.... read more

Version 3.1.5 adds two new features. Based on a user request, User Defined Prompt(s) has been added. This allows the setting of the prompt via a line */some_regex/
Expect-lite has always cooperated well with the bash shell. Now via a 5 line embedded bash script at the top of the expect-lite script, it can become executable with default arguments, and can even take linux-style (--example 1) arguments.
Please see the documentation for more details.

This version of expect-lite includes some small bug fixes, and adds additional debugging information via -v and -vv. Additionally, three (3) self-test scripts have been included (in Examples), which provide confidence that expect-lite is functioning properly.

Over the years of using and improving expect-lite, a few debugging techniques have proven quite useful. This release adds 2 debugging include scripts, debug.inc & show_vars.inc adding tools to debugging scripts. In addition, a Tips and Techniques Guide has been added (see website) documenting how to use these new scripts and more.

Based on a feature request, added command line arguments to permit passing login user and password
Recommend using ssh keys, but the user may still be different than
the user running the script.
Using the password option is inherently insecure, as the password
is in the clear (anyone can read it)
Example:
./expect-lite r=somehost c=somescript u=<username> p=<user_password>

Changed entire command script read subsystem
Previous system read directly from script file
New system reads script file into buffer, which can be
randomly accessed
This permits looping! (realistcally only repeat loops)
Added infinite loop protection
Example:
; ======== Incrementing Loop ========
$max=5
$count=3
%REPEAT_INC_LOOP
# increment variable
+$count
# stop the run away loop
>echo $count
-<7
?if $count <= $max ?%REPEAT_INC_LOOP... read more