Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!oliveb!amdahl!nsc!taux01!arielf
From: arielf@taux01.UUCP (Ariel Faigon)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl
Subject: Question about two-sided connections to perl
Summary: Is is simple to use perl for 'wrapping' interactive programs ?
Keywords: popen pseudo-ttys process-connection
Message-ID: <3196@taux01.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jan 90 13:14:13 GMT
Reply-To: arielf@taux01.UUCP (Ariel Faigon)
Organization: National Semiconductor (IC) Ltd, Israel (Home of the NS32532)
Lines: 31

--- Question no. 1:
Is there a simple way to connect a perl program to both sides of a process ?
i.e. I would love to be able to do something like:

	open(OUTPTY,"| some_program |",INPTY) ...;

pipe input into 'some_program'
and read its output in order to post-process it.

Of course, suppose 'some_program' is "interactive" in nature and the
'pipes' are actually pseudo-ttys (otherwise, a deadlock between perl
& 'some_program' is likely to occur). So I assume I can write to
'some_program' and read its immediate "reply" alternately.

This brings me to:

--- Question no. 2:
Can I make 'some_program' that is connected to Perl, think it is writing into
a pty instead of a pipe (actually what I need is that 'some_program' _output_
be unbuffered - note, I'm not asking about unbuffering perl-output which
is simple).

I'm afraid I'll need to write all the 'pty' stuff myself which I
can do in 'C' in the first place.

Any help ?
-- 
Ariel Faigon, CTP group, NSTA
National Semiconductor (Israel)
6 Maskit st.  P.O.B. 3007, Herzlia 46104, Israel   Tel. (972)52-522312
arielf%taux01@nsc.com   @{hplabs,pyramid,sun,decwrl} 34 48 E / 32 10 N