Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!ncar!noao!arizona!naucse!root
From: root@naucse.UUCP (System Administrator)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.uucp
Subject: Questions on L.sys file entries
Keywords: L.sys expect send uucp questions expect/send
Message-ID: <1155@naucse.UUCP>
Date: 9 Feb 89 00:15:30 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Lines: 58

I've got a few questions for any/all uucp gurus out there.  We've been
having some problems with connecting to our only uucp neighbor, and I
can't figure out what the problem is.  I won't bore you with the spec-
ifics (unless I really get stuck), but after having read the manuals
on uucp many times (both man-pages and documents) I am left with a
series of unanswered questions.  Maybe you folks can help.

Regarding entries in the L.sys file (expect/send sequences):

1. I read that the expect algorithm looks at the LAST PART of the
   incoming text, when comparing strings.  But suppose the string I
   want to match has a new-line in it?  How do I express this in
   my expect string?  Example:

   fictitious incoming text:    type your name:\n

   My sequence  "name: myname"  won't work, since the string "name:"
   is NOT the last thing received: there's a newline in there, too!
   Are carriage-returns and newlines ignored by the algorithm, or can
   I put something like "\n" in my expect string?  What if it's also
   got a \r in there?  What if it's after the newline, instead of
   before it?  Will my sequence have to match the order of \r \n's ?

2. With keywords like PAUSE and - specially interpreted in my expect/
   send sequences, how can I force these to be considered part of the
   text, if I needed to do so?  Can I escape them?  How?  If I escape
   things with a backslash (\) like usual, is \\ considered a back-
   slash character?

3. How does the algorithm decide that the expected string has not
   come in?  Does it have a timeout value of some sort?  If so, how
   long?  Does it "timeout" that long after no more text is received,
   or just after that time period is up (regardless of incoming text)?

4. While data is steadily coming in, does the expect algorithm look
   at snapshots of it, even though it's incomplete?  Example:

   fictitious incoming text:	Enter password:

   will the sequence   "sswo myname"  ever succeed because that was
   the last thing in the buffer at one point?  Of course this would
   be VERY unreliable, but could it happen?

5. Is the text-to-send sent the instant the expect algorithm sees
   what it's been looking for, or is there a pause of one or more
   seconds?


The manuals just leave me fuzzy on details.  I really appreciate any
assistance you all can give me on this subject.  Thank you.

						-- paul

-- 
Paul Balyoz, System Administrator    ...!arizona!naucse!root
Northern Arizona University                  --or--
Box 15600                            ...!arizona!naucse!pab
Flagstaff, AZ 86011