x3270if

X3270IF(1)                                                          X3270IF(1)

NAME

       x3270if - command interface to x3270, c3270 and s3270

SYNOPSIS

       x3270if [ -v ] action [ ( param [ ,... ] ) ]
       x3270if [ -v ] -s field
       x3270if -i

DESCRIPTION

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

       x3270if performs one of three functions.  In action mode (the default),
       it  passes  a single action and optional parameters to the emulator for
       execution; the result of the command is written to standard output.  In
       status mode, it reports to standard output the value of one of the emu-
       lator’s status fields.  In iterative mode, it forms a  continuous  con-
       duit between a script and the emulator.

OPTIONS

       -v     Turns  on  verbose debug messages, showing the literal data that
              is passed between the emulator and x3270if.

       -s field
              Puts x3270if in status mode: it outputs the value of an emulator
              status  field.   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.

       -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.
              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 sup-
              port bidirectional pipes.)

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 itera-
       tive  mode, x3270if exits with status 0 when it encounters end-of-file.
       If there is an operational error within x3270if itself, such as a  com-
       mand-line  syntax  error, missing environment variable, or an unexpect-
       edly closed pipe, x3270if exits with status 2.

ENVIRONMENT

       x3270, c3270, and s3270 use a pair of pipes for communication with each
       child  process.  The values of the file descriptors for these pipes are
       encoded as text in two environment variables,  which  are  required  by
       x3270if:

       X3270OUTPUT
              Output from the emulator, input to the child process.

       X3270INPUT
              Input to the emulator, output from the child process.

SEE ALSO

       x3270(1), c3270(1), s3270(1), x3270-script(1)

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright 1999, 2000 by Paul Mattes.
              Permission  to  use,  copy, modify, and distribute this software
              and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is  hereby
              granted,  provided that the above copyright notice appear in all
              copies and that both that copyright notice and  this  permission
              notice appear in supporting documentation.



                               29 November 2003                     X3270IF(1)