Framework for interactive shell script (bash)

Question

My current project runs a tests system on a linux box (with 9 active screens)

The whole team are familiar with how to kick off a test &c. but less familiar with the commands for checking progress, moving files around, forcibly stopping the test etc.

I'd like to write a script that can pull useful checks together, kicking them by a simple keypress. I could do this in Perl very easily but more consistent if it was a shell script (bash).

My shell experience is limited though and I would like a sample script (i.e. a framework) that would be easy for others to extend.

Wait for Key
Perform action
  Possibly accept further input for action
Repeat

A bonus would be to run an action every n minutes if no key received.

Answer 1

Based on what you're describing, here's something simple (thanks to Dennis' comments):

while true; do
    # 300 is the time interval in seconds
    if read -n 1 -t 300; then
        case $REPLY in
        a)
            # command(s) to be run if the 'a' key is pressed
            echo a;;
        b)
            # command(s) to be run if the 'b' key is pressed
            echo b;;
        esac
    else
        # command(s) to be run if nothing is pressed after a certain time interval
        echo
    fi
done

Here's the alternative I had before, although I can't remember why I decided against case in the first place:

# define functions here
a_pressed() {
    # command(s) to be run if the 'a' key is pressed
}

b_pressed() {
    # commands for if 'b' is pressed
}

# etc.

nothing_pressed() {
    # command(s) to be run if nothing is pressed after a certain time interval
}

while true; do
    # 300 is the time interval in seconds
    if read -n 1 -t 300; then
        fn_name="${REPLY}_pressed"
        declare -pF | grep -q "$fn_name" && ${fn_name}
    else
        nothing_pressed
    fi
done

Either way, this will handle keypresses and will automatically invoke an action any time nothing has been done for 5 minutes.

Answer 2

The only two i have ever heard of are Bashinator and the NRG Framework

NRG

Bashinator

Answer 3

Thanks to David Zaslavsky - does what I want.

Suggested tweaks (I can't edit the answer) or format comments

Add Shell Type

#!/bin/bash 

Parameterise time and allow for prompt (but not on timeout). Also appears that the -N should have been -n

# Will wait for this interval, then run default action 
DELAY=30 
while true; do 
    echo "Command list here..." 
    while true; do 
        if read -n 1 -t ${DELAY}; then 
            fn_name="${REPLY}_pressed" 
            declare -pF | grep -q "$fn_name" && ${fn_name} 
            break 
        else 
            default_action 
        fi 
    done 
done