Python subprocess: interacting with a shell script

Question

I have a shell script which asks the user for too many questions.

I want to answer every question that ends with : with a enter, and every question that ends with a ? with yenter.

e.g.,

Enter your name:
enter

Enter your email:
enter

...

Are you sure these details are correct?
yenter

I have started the subprocess with:

subprocess.Popen(shell=True, stdout=sp.PIPE, stderr=sp.STDOUT, stdin=sp.PIPE)

How do I poll over the script's output, waiting for the question to appear?

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 04 '12 at 14:10

5

Try something like this (I have not tested it):

import pexpect

child = pexpect.spawn('yourprogram')
while True:
  found = child.expect ([r':$', r'\?$', pexpect.EOF])
  if found == 0:
    child.send('\n')
  elif found == 1:
    child.send('y\n')
  else:  # EOF
     return

answered Mar 04 '12 at 14:10

James Youngman

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21

+1 for pexpect which I didn't know. It seems like a very useful approach - I will try to make it work. – Adam Matan Mar 04 '12 at 15:14
2

`pexpect.run('yourprogram', events={r':$': '\n', r'\?$': 'y\n'})` – jfs Mar 04 '12 at 15:29

Python subprocess: interacting with a shell script

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