Expect helps to automate processes, such as managing a PPP interface. There are answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding Expect and Tk, which are extensions of Tcl ("tickle").

Tcl/Tk enhances several UNIX commands by providing useful front-ends:

• diff: TkDiff "provides highlighting of difference regions, side by side viewing of files, linked scrolling, random access to the difference regions, file merge, and online help."
• man: TkMan is a "full featured, must have man page reader providing full text search and great hypertext links."
• ps: tkps reports on and allows manipulation of active processes.
• tkWorld for trying out options and regular expressions for grep, sort, etc.

The FAQs have more links as well as front-ends for applications such as gnuplot and PGP.

Perl is a scripting language with a great deal of mindshare behind it, particularly because its numerous modules make it so useful. We happily use Perl in Ariadne's Thread: initializing RealMedia presentations, dynamically creating HTML, and analyzing the Apache and RealServer logfiles -- based on examples in the typo-ridden Perl Cookbook.

• columns
• Perl-Apache Project
• CGI Resource Index

Perl is not as simple as Tcl, but there are Perl modules for both Expect and Tk. Our latest scripting project was a Perl robot, to which we hope to add a Tk GUI one day. The BotSpot has many examples of WWW robots.

Last modified: 6/19/2001