How To Run A Ruby File In Terminal

Ruby is a dynamic, object-oriented programming language that is designed to be easy to read and write. It is used in a wide range of applications, from web development to system administration. In this blog post, we will cover how to run a Ruby file using the terminal, allowing you to quickly and easily execute your Ruby scripts.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure that you have the following installed on your system:

  • Ruby – You can check if Ruby is installed by running ruby -v in your terminal. If it is not installed, you can download it from the official Ruby website.
  • Terminal – A terminal application is required to run the commands. The default terminal for your operating system should suffice (e.g., Terminal on macOS, Command Prompt on Windows, or Terminal on Linux).

Running a Ruby File in Terminal

Follow these steps to run a Ruby file in the terminal:

  1. Create a new file with a .rb extension (e.g., hello_world.rb). This file will contain your Ruby code.
  2. Open the file in your favorite text editor and write some Ruby code. For example:
# hello_world.rb
puts “Hello, World!”
  1. Open your terminal application and navigate to the directory containing your Ruby file. You can do this using the cd command, followed by the directory path:
cd /path/to/your/ruby/file
  1. Finally, run the Ruby file using the ruby command, followed by the name of your file:
ruby hello_world.rb

Your Ruby file should now be executed, and you should see the output in your terminal:

Hello, World!

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have learned how to run a Ruby file in the terminal. This is an essential skill for any Ruby developer, as it allows you to quickly prototype and experiment with your code. Remember to always save your file before running it and practice good code organization to make your development experience smooth and enjoyable.