ExpectPy release 1.8.2
======================

This package is a Python extension for Expect.  It was inspired by the
expy module published quite a while ago (1995).  I found that it
was lacking.  It was cumbersome and more Tcl-like.  (That's not saying
that mine isn't cumbersome either, that's for everyone else to say. ;)


Version Information
===================

Python  1.5.2              (also tested with 1.4, 1.5 and 1.5.1)
Expect  5.28               (tested with 5.22, 5.26 and 5.28.1)
[Tcl    8.0  when compiled (tested with 8.0p2 and 8.0.5)]

Expect 5.28 does not support Tcl 8.1.  According to the documentation
(http://expect.nist.gov/FAQ.html#q26), Tcl 8.2 will be the next
supported release.

Features
========

* PCRE Support (see Known Problems below)
* Python-like interface (expy had a tcl like interface)
* callbacks within expect method clauses
* objects not associated with a spawned process (unspawned), but with
  a file object
* full buffer and match string support (Tcl does not allow null
  characters in the strings, but Python does)
* access to Expect variables through object, including resetting to
  original values.
* Python thread safe.  No claims are made that the Expect module is
  thread-safe.
* exp_continue functionality within expect clauses
* COMPILED clause callbacks are passed the matched object
* Interactive function, connecting two bidirectional process streams.
* Expect parameters, in the form of attributes of a Python object.
* Changes to terminal parameters through stty method.
* Does not require Tcl


Building Instructions
=====================

I have gotten Python's makesetup utility working for the build, but
there are still some problems with it - I'd like to hear from others
what worked and did not.  GNU's autoconf is still used to perform the
primary platform configuration.  The basic configurables are:
  - enabling shared-libraries
  - using Tcl Regular Expressions instead of PCRE
  - not using regular expression support
  - not using Python's memory management
  - to attempt to use Python's makesetup utility

See INSTALL for build and installation instructions.

If Python's makesetup utility will be used, then a patch must be applied.
This can be found in the "etc" directory.


Known Problems
==============

See BUGS for a list of known bugs.


Package Information
===================
Author: Michael P. Reilly
Written: July 1998
Email: arcege@shore.net
Platform: Solaris 2.6 for Intel, 486DX2 66
Last updated: July 5th, 1999

