Pexpect makes Python a better glue for controlling child applications.

Pexpect is a pure Python module for spawning child applications; controlling
them; and responding to expected patterns in their output. Pexpect works like
Don Libes' Expect. Pexpect allows your script to spawn a child application
and control it as if a human were typing commands.

Pexpect can be used for automating interactive applications such as ssh, ftp,
passwd, telnet, etc. It can be used to a automate setup scripts for duplicating
software package installations on different servers. It can be used for
automated software testing. Pexpect is in the spirit of Don Libes' Expect, but
Pexpect is pure Python. The Pexpect interface was designed to be easy to use.

WWW: http://pexpect.sourceforge.net/