Shell Programming and Scripting

Hi, guys, I want to redirect the result of top command into a file after sort memory or sort TIME or sort PID or sort PCPU.

for example:
I pressed key M will sort by memory, and then press key W will save all current setting into ~/.toprc, press key q will exit when I launched top command,
It will be able to display exactly the same as in the previous format when running top next time.

Code:

#!/usr/bin/expect
set timeout -1                                     
spawn top
expect -re ".*" { sleep 2; send "M\r" }    
expect -re ".*" { sleep 2; send "W\r" }  
expect -re ".*" {  "q\r" }      
send "exit\r"         
expect eof

But above code seems not to work as my expectant desiring:
it will not sort RES column and will not write configuration into ~/.toprc file and will not exit top.

My question is:
1. How to make above all operation automatically in a shell script using linux Expect Language?
2. How to save sorted result output into a logfile when key M is pressed which sorted RES column of top command ?

Thanks in advance!
I am looking forward to your reply and help.

---------- Post updated 05-14-13 at 10:10 AM ---------- Previous update was 05-13-13 at 10:40 AM ----------

Who can help me and give me an suggestion or instruction?
Thanks first.

There are other tools and top modes that allow scripting without expect. You can ps and sort for many of these things. Are you worried about RAM or VM or swap space? Do you want to merge stats for threads of the same process?

I don't like to use ps command although its -o option can do some customization output.
Although ps can be a workaround without too much challenge and no too much complex technology research.

personally, The interface of top command is more aristic and visualization.

It is important for me to use top command and automatically realize all process through Expect Language