repl(1)

repl(1)
repl(1)

NAME

repl -- sometimes you need a repl

SYNOPSIS

repl [repl-options] command <...>

DESCRIPTION

repl wraps a non-interactive command in an interactive read-eval-print-loop prompt. Each line you type into the prompt is executed as arguments to command. Anything written to standard output or standard error by the command is displayed.

If you have rlwrap(1) installed you'll automatically get the full benefits of readline: history, reverse searches, etc.

repl is meant to wrap programs which accept command line arguments and print to the standard output. It keeps no state between executed lines and, as such, cannot be used to replace irb or the Python REPL (for example).

EXAMPLES

Using repl with redis-cli:

$ repl redis-cli
>> set name chris
OK
>> get name
chris
>> info
redis_version:1.000
uptime_in_seconds:182991
uptime_in_days:2
.. etc ..

Using repl with Ruby's gem:

$ repl gem
>> --version
1.3.5
>> search yajl

*** LOCAL GEMS ***

yajl-ruby (0.6.7)
>> search yajl -r

*** REMOTE GEMS ***

brianmario-yajl-ruby (0.6.3)
filipegiusti-yajl-ruby (0.6.4)
jdg-yajl-ruby (0.5.12)
oortle-yajl-ruby (0.5.8)
yajl-ruby (0.6.7)

Using repl with git:

$ repl git
>> branch
  gh-pages
* master
>> tag
rm
v0.1.0
v0.1.1
v0.1.2
v0.1.3
>> tag -d rm
Deleted tag 'rm'
>> pwd
git: 'pwd' is not a git-command. See 'git --help'.

Did you mean this?
  add

OPTIONS

-h, --help: Displays usage information.
--stdin: Pipe input to command's STDIN.
--debug: Displays debug information while running.
--man: Displays this man page.

COMPLETION

Because rlwrap supports completion, repl does too. Any file in ~/.repl matching the name of the command you start repl with will be used for completion.

For instance, a file named ~/.repl/redis-cli containing "get set info" will cause "get", "set", and "info" to be tab completeable at the repl redis-cli prompt.

The directory searched for completion files can be configured using the REPL_COMPLETION_DIR environment variable.

COMMAND HISTORY

Because rlwrap supports command history, repl does too. Any file in ~/ matching the name of the command you start repl with prefix with a dot and suffixed with "_history" will be used for completion.

For instance, a file named ~/.redis-cli_history containing a newline separated list of "get set info" will cause "get", "set", and "info" to be reachable using the up arrow as command history at the repl redis-cli prompt.

The directory searched for history files can be configured using the REPL_HISTORY_DIR environment variable.

ENVIRONMENT

REPL_PROMPT

the prompt to display before each line of input. defaults to >>

REPL_COMPLETION_DIR

directory in which completion files are kept

REPL_HISTORY_DIR

directory in which command history files are kept

BUGS

http://github.com/defunkt/repl/issues

AUTHOR

Chris Wanstrath :: chris@ozmm.org :: @defunkt