Unix/Linux Training : Beginning Tcl/Expect

Beginning Tcl/Expect

Unix/Linux Training Overview

This three-day course provides the student with an introduction to creating Tcl and Tcl/Expect scripts.

Unix/Linux Training Audience

Programmers, testers, and system administrators who wish to use Tcl/Expect in their environment.

Unix/Linux Training Prerequisites

Programming experience in a structured language, such as C, C++, Java, or COBOL, is required.

Unix/Linux Training Course duration

3 Days

Unix/Linux Training Course outline

Introduction to Tcl/TK

Install/Set-up Tcl/TK

History of Tcl

Advantages and Disadvantages of Tcl

Creating a Simple Tcl Program

Interactive tclsh shell

Tcl Basics

Math in Tcl

Data Types

Command Substitution

Grouping

Escaping Special Characters

Special String Characters

Commenting Your Script

Receiving Input in Tcl

Variables

Creating Variables

Referencing Variable�s Values

Unsetting Variables

Determining if a Variable Exists

Predefined Variables

Lists

What is a List?

Creating Lists

Returning Elements from Lists

Creating Lists form Strings

Creating Strings from Lists

Modifying Lists

Searching Lists

Sorting Lists

The concat Command

The arvg List

Arrays

What is an Array?

Creating Arrays

Returning Elements from an Array

Removing Data from an Array

The array Command

The env Array

The tcl_platform Array

Strings

String Manipulation

Finding the Length of a String

Comparing Two Strings

Matching a Pattern in a String

Other String Operations

Appending to a String

Regular Expressions

What are Regular Expressions?

The �*� and �+� Characters

The �.� Character

Character Sets

The Anchor Characters

The �?� Character

Grouping Patterns

Alternation

The Backslash Character

The regexp Command

The regsub Command

Other Commands that Use Regular Expressions

Flow Control

Control Statements

The if Statement

The switch Statement

Using while Loops

Using foreach Loops

Using for Loops

Using break to Control Loops

Using continue to Control Loops

Catching Errors

Exiting and Error Messages

Procedures

Crating Procedures

Passing Parameters to Procedures

Variable Scope

The return Statement

File and Process Handling

Running UNIX or Linux Commands

Running Commands on PCs

Checking File Status

File Handles

Determining the Host Name

Introduction to Expect

What is Expect?

Expect�s Capabilities

Expect Shell

Installing Expect

Expect Options

Where to Find More Information

Using the Send Command

Introduction to the Send Command

Sending Slowly

Sending Humanly

Sending Special Characters

Send vs. Puts

Using the Expect Command

Introduction to the Expect Command

Expect Variables

Pattern Pairs

Setting Time Outs

expect eof

Ignoring Case

Using Comments with Expect

Turning Off Expect Output

The close Command

The wait Command

Using Globs and Regular Expressions with Expect

Using Globs

Using the * Glob Character

The ? and [] Characters

Using Backslashes

Using Regular Expressions

Grouping and �Back Referencing�

Using Both Globs and Regular Expressions

Processing Handling

Running Multiple Processes

The spawn_id Variable

Using the �i Option

Using Procedures

Predefined Spawn Ids

Handling User Input and Controlling Output

Sending Standard Output to the User

Sending Standard Error to the User

Receiving Input from the User

Pausing the Script

Disabling Terminal Echo

Signals