Method and system for a scriptable command line interface
A method and system for a scriptable command line interface is described. A script is written and associated with each command. When an input is received at a command line interface, the input is parsed to identify a command and any associated parameters. The script associated with the command is invoked, and parameters associated with the command are sent to an application to configure the application in accordance with the script. The application is executed and data is generated. The script receives the data from the application and formats the data for output.
1. A method comprising:
receiving an input at a command line interface;
parsing the input to identify a command and any associated parameters;
invoking a script associated with the command;
providing by the script parameters associated with command as input to a compiled application, the script parameters configuring the application in accordance with the script, but without a recompiling of the application, wherein the script parameters are Extensible Markup Language (XML) data;
executing the application and generating data in response thereto;
receiving the data at the script from the application;
formatting the data at the script for output; and
dynamically modifying the script to change the parameters provided by the script as input to the application.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving data at the script from the application comprises receiving Extensible Markup Language (XML) data at the script from the application and wherein formatting the data at the script for output comprises formatting the XML data at the script for output.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein invoking a script associated with the command comprises invoking a script written in Tool Command Language (TCL) that is associated with the command.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving an input at a command line interface comprises receiving input from a user at a command line interface and wherein invoking a script associated with the command comprises invoking a script written by the user that is associated with the command.
5. An article of manufacture comprising:
a machine accessible medium including content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to:
receive a command at a command line interface;
parse the command after receiving the command at the command line interface;
invoke a script associated with the received command;
send parameters associated with the received command to a compiled application to configure the application according to the script, but without a recompiling of the application, wherein send parameters associated with the received command to an application comprises send by the script Extensible Markup Language (XML) data to the application to configure the application;
receive data at the script from the application;
format the data at the script for output; and
dynamically modify the script to change the parameters sent to the application.
6. The article of manufacture of claim 5 , wherein a machine accessible medium including content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to receive a command at a command line interface comprises a machine accessible medium including content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to receive at a command line interface a command input by a user in a shell.
7. The article of manufacture of claim 6 , wherein a machine accessible medium including content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to invoke a script associated with the received command comprises a machine accessible medium comprising content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to invoke a script written by the user that is associated with the command.
8. The article of manufacture of claim 6 , further comprising a machine accessible medium including content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to display the formatted data in the shell.
9. The article of manufacture of claim 5 , wherein a machine accessible medium including content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to receive data at the script from the application comprises a machine accessible medium comprising content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to receive at the script from the application data written in Extensible Markup Language (XML).
10. The article of manufacture of claim 5 , wherein a machine accessible medium including content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to invoke a script associated with the received command comprises a machine accessible medium comprising content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to invoke a script written in Tool Command Language (TCL) that is associated with the command.