0MQ Shell Tools

My idea is to separate Unix pipes in time and space. On machine #1:

grep foo -r . | zee tcp://*:6000 --no-stdout

And on machines #2, #3, #4 upto #_n:

zat tcp://machine1:6000 | <further data processing>

Another fascinating possibility is the creation of simple servers, such as the worlds smallest echo server:

zserver tcp://*:1234 cat

TODO

• Tests
• getopt

Current Status

Obviously a work in progress. Nay! A work in gestation.

I'm first prototyping this on Python to find the proper interface. If time and energy permit, I will convert them to C.

zee

zee <ZMQ endpoint> reads input from standard input. Individual lines are sent as messages to the specified ZMQ endpoint.

The zee tool is named analogously to tee. Instead of making a T-shaped junction in the pipeline, zee creates sort of a Z-shaped junction. The lower bar of the Z can be seen to represent another parallel pipeline.

Also, it is a pun on ZMQ and tee. Obviously.

The default socket type is PUSH. Use the --pub option to create a PUB type socket.

TODO for zee

• Add --no-stdout or -q or -s option
• Add --pub option
• Multiple end points? (Not really worth it since it is easy to write just zee ipc://sock1 | zee ipc://sock2)

zat

zat [[--sub] <ZMQ endpoint> ...] reads specified ZMQ sockets and outputs the messages to the standard output.

The zat is named after the cat tool. Unfortunately the zcat is already reserved. (Other alternative names: zoot, ztdin, czat and catz.)

The default socket is type is PULL. Use the --sub option to specify a SUB type socket.

TODO for zat

• zat to support sub sockets as well
• zat should also pass stdin through
• Three options for stdin:
  • always include in output
  • include if a flag is (not) present
  • imitate cat, i.e. absent or -