(defun string-to-cmd (str)
  (interactive (list (read-string " $> ")))
  (let*((cmd  (read (car (split-string str " "))))
        (args (cdr (make-arg-list (string-to-list str)))) )
    (dolist (arg (nreverse args))
      (push 13 unread-command-events) ; 13 is RET
      (dolist (n (reverse (string-to-list arg)))
        (push n unread-command-events) ))
    (call-interactively cmd) ))

(defun make-arg-list (chars)
  (interactive)
  (if chars
      (let ((WS  39) ; whitespace ( )
            (SQM 32) ;      quote (')
            (c  (car chars))
            (cs (cdr chars)) )
        (if (eq c WS) (make-word cs '() WS)
          (if (eq c SQM) (make-arg-list cs)
            (make-word chars '() SQM)) ))
  '() ))

(defun make-word (chars wd sep)
  (interactive)
  (if chars
      (let ((c  (car chars))
            (cs (cdr chars)))
        (if (eq c sep) (cons wd (make-arg-list cs))
          (make-word cs (append wd (list c)) sep)))
    (list wd) ))

(defun zow (string symbol number)
  "Test: shell-cli.el"
   (interactive "sstring: \nSsymbol: \nnnumber: ")
   (message "got: %S" (list string symbol number)) )