# Cannot require a file that doesnt have a prefix? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [August 15, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cannot-require-a-file-that-doesnt-have-a-prefix/102439 "2006-08-15T14:17:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cannot-require-a-file-that-doesnt-have-a-prefix/102439/1 "2006-08-15T14:17:25Z")
Huh… why can’t I require a file that has no prefix? % ls redirect % irb > require ‘./redirect’ > LoadError: no such file to load – ./redirect > from (irb):1:in `require’ > from (irb):1 > from :0 T. ---
**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cannot-require-a-file-that-doesnt-have-a-prefix/102439/2 "2006-08-15T14:17:25Z")
Trans wrote: > Huh… why can’t I require a file that has no prefix? Er… s/prefix/suffix/ ---
**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cannot-require-a-file-that-doesnt-have-a-prefix/102439/3 "2006-08-15T14:17:26Z")
Trans wrote: > Trans wrote: > > > Huh… why can’t I require a file that has no prefix? > > Er… s/prefix/suffix/ Ruby automatically tries different extensions for the files you require, so that you do not have to provide an extension when using require. Check out the documentation. -Justin ---
**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cannot-require-a-file-that-doesnt-have-a-prefix/102439/4 "2006-08-15T14:17:40Z")
Trans wrote: > Trans wrote: > > > Huh… why can’t I require a file that has no prefix? > > Er… s/prefix/suffix/ This is defined behavior, covered in the file eval.c around #6912 For the required file to be used as source, it MUST have a “.rb” suffix. irb also checks for the extention. If the extention is not present, then the extention is ASSUMED, and the require fails when that filename+ext is not present. Perhaps a paranoia about lots of other languages, etc., but it may save problems with other types of files. The extention provides the clues necessary to indicate how to handle that file. Best regards, Gerald ---
**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cannot-require-a-file-that-doesnt-have-a-prefix/102439/5 "2006-08-15T14:17:41Z")
Hi, At Sat, 12 Aug 2006 06:55:14 +0900, Trans wrote in [ruby-talk:207891]: > > Huh… why can’t I require a file that has no prefix? You can load it instead. ---
**Author:** ![Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@Trans](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Trans)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cannot-require-a-file-that-doesnt-have-a-prefix/102439/6 "2006-08-15T14:17:44Z")
Gerald M. wrote: > when that filename+ext is not present. Perhaps a paranoia > about lots of other languages, etc., but it may save problems > with other types of files. The extention provides the clues > necessary to indicate how to handle that file. Okay. Well, I expected it to try the literal path first, then try .rb, then try the DLEXT. I’m not sure what problems it saves. I could just as well name a python file with .rb. Ruby won’t know the difference until it chokes regardless. In my particular usecase I have some scripts that can be run as stand alone executables or be required and used by another script. So I don’t want them to have the extension. But as Nabu said I can use #load instead, so at least I have recourse. Depending on an extension like this just seems so 80’s, i.e. out-moded. T.