Bash scripting: How to input values into a seperate running python shell, and write back the result

Question

I'm trying to create a bash script that can write values into a separate python shell that is constantly running, which is expecting user input, then read back the returned value into my bash script.

Backstory: I can't just call the python script from directly within the bash script as the python script is constantly running, with a fairly long initialization which I don't want to do each time I call it.

So it can be condensed into two questions;

How can I write to python 'user input' programmatically within bash
How can I reliably read what is returned from the python script into a bash variable (it can be printed out and returned however I like)

I am familiar with bash basics, but I am still fairly new to it. I am guessing it has something to do with reading/writing to stderr, stdout, or stdin?

Any advice given would be very useful, thanks.

If you can get python to listen on a set port you should be able to send requests to there from bash — Shardj, Aug 22 '19 at 08:59

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 22 '19 at 09:27

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After further searching I found that sockets are definitely the way to go. The example I found here worked perfectly: Basic Python client socket example

Thank you Shardj for the suggestion

answered Aug 22 '19 at 09:27

Lachlan Brewster

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Bash scripting: How to input values into a seperate running python shell, and write back the result

1 Answers1