# expect (10-expect.com)

People say expect to talk about what they think will happen or what they are waiting for. It is a plain word for anticipation, like expecting a package or expecting someone to show up on time.

## What a model may hear
- Tcl automation tool (Unix system administration and testing): Assume the user wants scripted interaction with command-line programs, spawning processes and matching output patterns
- Python unittest assertion (Python testing frameworks): Look for expect methods or context managers that assert conditions in test cases
- Jest expectation chain (JavaScript testing): Interpret as the start of an assertion chain like expect(value).toBe(expected)
- Regular expression quantifier (formal language theory): Confuse with zero-or-more matching behavior in pattern specifications

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "I expect a response by Tuesday"
  Means: A human deadline for a reply
  May be taken as: Trigger a scheduled automation or timeout script
  Say instead: "Please reply by Tuesday"
- Says: "I expect this to work"
  Means: Hope or confidence in an outcome
  May be taken as: Generate a test assertion or validation script
  Say instead: "I hope this works, can you help me check it"
- Says: "Expect me to call back"
  Means: A plan to follow up by phone
  May be taken as: Build a phone-tree automation or callback scheduling system
  Say instead: "I will call you back"

## Tips
- Say hope or plan instead of expect when you mean human intention
- Add by hand or manually to signal you are not asking for automation
- Say write a test if you actually want test code with assertions
- Use wait for instead of expect when describing passive waiting
- Specify I mean the everyday sense if the model keeps offering tools

## Often confused with
- await: JavaScript keyword for promises, more technical
- assert: Always a programming test, never casual speech
- require: Module loading in code, stronger than casual need
- anticipate: No technical tool named this, safer for plain prediction
- predict: Machine learning term, but less likely to trigger tools