NAME

x3270if - command interface to x3270, c3270 and s3270

SYNOPSIS

x3270if [option]... [ action ]
x3270if [option]... -i
x3270if [option]... -I emulator-name [-H help-action]

DESCRIPTION

x3270if provides an interface between scripts and the 3270 emulators x3270, c3270 and s3270.

x3270if operates in one of three modes. In action mode, it passes a single action and parameters to the emulator for execution. The result of the action is written to standard output, along with the (optional) status of the emulator. (The action is optional as well, so that x3270if can just reports the emulator status.) In iterative mode, it forms a continuous conduit between a script and the emulator. In interactive prompt mode, it displays a prompt, and conveys each command it receives to the emulator.

The action takes the form:

: action-name(param[,param]...)

The parentheses are manatory, and usually must be quoted when x3270if is called from a shell script.

If any param contains a space or comma, it must be surrounded by double quotes.

OPTIONS

-s field: Causes x3270if to write to stdout the value of one of the emulator status fields. Field is an integer in the range 0 through 11. The value 0 is a no-op and is used only to return exit status indicating the state of the emulator. The indices 1-11 and meanings of each field are documented on the x3270-script(1) manual page. If an action is specified as well, the status field is written after the output of the action, separated by a newline. The -s option is mutually exclusive with the -S, -i and -I options.
-S: Causes x3270if to write to stdout the value of all of the emulator status fields. If an action is specified as well, the status fields are written after the output of the action, separated by a newline. The -S option is mutually exclusive with the -s, -i and -I options.
-i: Puts x3270if in iterative mode. Data from x3270if's standard input is copied to the emulator's script input; data from the emulator's script output is copied to x3270if's standard output. The -i option is mutually exclusive with the -s, -S and -I options. x3270if runs until it detects end-of-file on its standard input or on the output from the emulator. (This mode exists primarily to give expect(1) a process to run, on systems which do not support bidirectional pipes.)
-p process-id: Causes x3270if to use a Unix-domain socket to connect to the emulator, rather than pipe file descriptors given in environment variables. The emulator must have been started with the -socket option.
-I emulator-name: Puts x3270if in interactive prompt mode. emulator-name is used as the prompt.
-H help-action: In conjunction with -I, specifies the name of an action that can be used to get interactive help. This action name is displayed in a start-up banner.
-t port: Causes x3270if to use a TCP socket to connect to the emulator, rather than pipe file descriptors given in environment variables. The emulator must have been started with the -scriptport option.
-v: Turns on verbose debug messages, showing on stderr the literal data that is passed between the emulator and x3270if.

EXIT STATUS

In action mode, if the requested action succeeds, x3270if exits with status 0. If the action fails, x3270if exits with status 1. In iterative mode, x3270if exits with status 0 when it encounters end-of-file. In interactive prompt mode, x3270if exits with status 0 when it encounters end-of-file, or if a command is given which ends with a '/' character. If there is an operational error within x3270if itself, such as a command-line syntax error, missing environment variable, or an unexpectedly closed pipe, x3270if exits with a status greater than 2.

ENVIRONMENT

When a script is run as a child process of one of the emulators via the Script action, the emulator passes information about how to control it in environment variables.

On Unix, the emulator process creates a pair of pipes for communication with the child script process. The values of the file descriptors for these pipes are encoded as text in two environment variables:

X3270OUTPUT: Output from the emulator, input to the child process.
X3270INPUT: Input to the emulator, output from the child process.

When an emulator is started with the -scriptport option, the emulator will pass the scriptport port number encoded as text in the X3270PORT environment variable. x3270if will use that value as if it had been passed to it via the -t option. X3270PORT takes precedence over X3270OUTPUT and X3270INPUT.

COPYRIGHT

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

*: Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
*: Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
*: Neither the names of Paul Mattes nor the names of his contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY PAUL MATTES `AS IS' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL PAUL MATTES BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.