# App-to-app message exchange

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/app-to-app-message-exchange/143280>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [July 16, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/app-to-app-message-exchange/143280 "2008-07-16T23:31:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![karlshea](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@karlshea](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/karlshea)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/app-to-app-message-exchange/143280/1 "2008-07-16T23:31:05Z")

</div>

I’m probably not using the correct terms, so please excuse…

I need to have a ruby app that loops and keeps a serial port open,  
essentially listening every second or so. then I need to send messages  
to that serial port app so that it can send outgoing messages, as in a  
queue fashion, from other ruby apps.

Is there a gem that can handle cross ruby application message queues?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![karlshea](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@karlshea](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/karlshea)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/app-to-app-message-exchange/143280/2 "2008-07-17T19:46:04Z")

</div>

Karl S. wrote:

> I’m probably not using the correct terms, so please excuse…
> 
> I need to have a ruby app that loops and keeps a serial port open,  
> essentially listening every second or so. then I need to send messages  
> to that serial port app so that it can send outgoing messages, as in a  
> queue fashion, from other ruby apps.
> 
> Is there a gem that can handle cross ruby application message queues?

Drb is one option (not a gem, but std lib). Much more general than  
message queues, but it does that too. It will only work between ruby  
processes, though.