# Continuous input until semicolon reached **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [October 12, 2007, 6:23am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/continuous-input-until-semicolon-reached/117027 "2007-10-12T06:23:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shuaib85)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 6:23am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/continuous-input-until-semicolon-reached/117027/1 "2007-10-12T06:23:43Z")
Hello I am doing a program in which I want to allow my user to keep keying in until they put semicolon then the prompt will process the data. It is something like mysql way. for example mysql\> select > - from > user; I want to have something like this. the other question, how can I read the last char as char in a string because it keeps returning the ASCII value e.g. str = “text here;” len = str.len semicolon = str[len - 1] this gives me the ascii value. Regards ---
**Author:** ![shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shuaib85)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 7:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/continuous-input-until-semicolon-reached/117027/2 "2007-10-12T07:13:32Z")
Shuaib Z. wrote: > Hello > > I am doing a program in which I want to allow my user to keep keying in > until they put semicolon then the prompt will process the data. It is > something like mysql way. for example > > mysql\> select > > > - from > > user; > > I want to have something like this. while gets.chomp != “;” #code here > the other question, how can I read the last char as char in a string > because it keeps returning the ASCII value Sorry but i dont quite understand your 2nd question ☹ Maybe elaborate a little? ---
**Author:** ![shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shuaib85)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 7:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/continuous-input-until-semicolon-reached/117027/3 "2007-10-12T07:45:35Z")
On Oct 12, 12:13 am, Michael L. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > I want to have something like this. > > while gets.chomp != “;” > #code here I don’t think this does what you think it does. String#chomp takes a character as its argument, with ‘\n’ being the default. The final character of the String is removed iff that character is the same as the argument character. String#chomp then returns whatever remains of the calling String, not the removed character. Instead, try all\_input = “” while line = gets line.chomp! next if line.nil? all\_input \<\< line break if line[-1].chr == ‘;’ end puts “got: #{all\_input}” > > the other question, how can I read the last char as char in a string > > because it keeps returning the ASCII value > > Sorry but i dont quite understand your 2nd question ☹ Maybe elaborate > a little? I think the second question refers to the fact that “hello”[0] =\> 104 when “hello”[0].chr =\> “h” is the desired behavior. ---
**Author:** ![shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shuaib85)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 7:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/continuous-input-until-semicolon-reached/117027/4 "2007-10-12T07:47:20Z")
On Oct 12, 12:41 am, “removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > > - from > > > > the argument character. String#chomp then returns whatever remains of > > > > end > > > > puts “got: #{all\_input}” which isn’t completely correct either, but the general idea is there and it’s my bedtime. ---
**Author:** ![shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shuaib85)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 10:57am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/continuous-input-until-semicolon-reached/117027/5 "2007-10-12T10:57:32Z")
Shuaib Z. wrote: > Hello > > I am doing a program in which I want to allow my user to keep keying in > until they put semicolon then the prompt will process the data. gets(";") or gets(";\n") if you want the semicolon to always be at the end of the line. Beware that if you use gets(";") and the user enters “foo;bar” the “bar” will be stuck in the buffer until you next read from stdin. HTH, Sebastian ---
**Author:** ![shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shuaib85)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 4:15am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/continuous-input-until-semicolon-reached/117027/6 "2007-10-18T04:15:39Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > On Oct 12, 12:13 am, Michael L. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Instead, try > > all\_input = “” > while line = gets > line.chomp! > next if line.nil? > all\_input \<\< line > break if line[-1].chr == ‘;’ > end > puts “got: #{all\_input}” I used this code and it works but I have a question and I need to confirm my answer. next if line.nil? next here is equivalent to continue in C. Am I right, i looked in ruby library, I did not find continue. Regards ---
**Author:** ![shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shuaib85)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 10:02am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/continuous-input-until-semicolon-reached/117027/7 "2007-10-18T10:02:41Z")
Shuaib Z. wrote: > the other question, how can I read the last char as char in a string > because it keeps returning the ASCII value > > e.g. > > str = “text here;” > len = str.len > semicolon = str[len - 1] > this gives me the ascii value. str = “text here;” semicolon = str[-1, 1] ---
**Author:** ![shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@shuaib85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/shuaib85)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 8:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/continuous-input-until-semicolon-reached/117027/8 "2007-10-18T08:13:14Z")
On 18/10/2007, Shuaib Z. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > next if line.nil? > > next here is equivalent to continue in C. Am I right, i looked in ruby > library, I did not find continue. Yes. – Thomas A.