# Can Ruby play with COM?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-ruby-play-with-com/62812>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [June 8, 2006, 11:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-ruby-play-with-com/62812 "2006-06-08T11:13:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gishu\_Pillai](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f6c823/32.png) [@Gishu\_Pillai](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Gishu_Pillai)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 11:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-ruby-play-with-com/62812/1 "2006-06-08T11:13:12Z")

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Hi,  
Can Ruby talk with any of the MS Tech? I didn’t  
bring the pickaxe book to office today.  
I was planning to do an internal web app using  
ruby on rails. However this app has to talk with  
Starteam (a Borland product). I don’t know if they  
have a ruby API exposed (chances are slim!) but they  
have a COM interface.  
Can I call it via Ruby code?

Also if this is gonna make me tear my hair out, please  
let me know that too…  
Thanks,  
Gishu

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**Author:** ![Gishu\_Pillai](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f6c823/32.png) [@Gishu\_Pillai](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Gishu_Pillai)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 12:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-ruby-play-with-com/62812/2 "2006-06-08T12:21:13Z")

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Gishu Pillai wrote:

> Hi,  
> Can Ruby talk with any of the MS Tech? I didn’t  
> bring the pickaxe book to office today.  
> I was planning to do an internal web app using  
> ruby on rails. However this app has to talk with  
> Starteam (a Borland product). I don’t know if they  
> have a ruby API exposed (chances are slim!) but they  
> have a COM interface.  
> Can I call it via Ruby code?

Yes. The library’s called WIN32OLE.

There’s some info on the RubyGarden wiki here:  
[http://wiki.rubygarden.org/Ruby/page/show/RubyAndCOM](http://wiki.rubygarden.org/Ruby/page/show/RubyAndCOM)

In particular, if you’re familiar with scripting Excel with VBA, you’ll  
probably find the ScriptingExcel page enlightening.

Here’s an online version of the API doco (not that complete or useful):  
[http://www.ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/Win32API/rdoc/index.html](http://www.ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/Win32API/rdoc/index.html)

> Also if this is gonna make me tear my hair out, please  
> let me know that too…

I haven’t torn my hair out; it’s pretty straightforward.

Cheers,  
Dave

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Gishu\_Pillai](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/f6c823/32.png) [@Gishu\_Pillai](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Gishu_Pillai)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 1:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-ruby-play-with-com/62812/3 "2006-06-08T13:57:45Z")

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Dave B. wrote:

> Yes. The library’s called WIN32OLE.
> 
> There’s some info on the RubyGarden wiki here:  
> [http://wiki.rubygarden.org/Ruby/page/show/RubyAndCOM](http://wiki.rubygarden.org/Ruby/page/show/RubyAndCOM)

Thanks, I knew Ruby won’t let me down 🙂  
Once again thanks for all the links Dave.  
– Gishu