# How to execute an external program - Ruby equivalents to PHP

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-execute-an-external-program-ruby-equivalents-to-php/101536>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 5, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-execute-an-external-program-ruby-equivalents-to-php/101536 "2006-08-05T21:15:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tesla](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@tesla](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tesla)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-execute-an-external-program-ruby-equivalents-to-php/101536/1 "2006-08-05T21:15:29Z")

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PHP has these:

shell\_exec – Execute command via shell and return the complete output  
as a  
string  
system – Execute an external program and display the output  
passthru – Execute an external program and display raw output  
exec – Execute an external program

And a few more that I don’t use. Does Ruby have equivalents? I am  
especially  
intersted in a shell\_exec counterpart.

thanks

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**Author:** ![tesla](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@tesla](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tesla)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-execute-an-external-program-ruby-equivalents-to-php/101536/2 "2006-08-05T21:24:31Z")

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On Aug 5, 2006, at 3:12 PM, tesla wrote:

> especially  
> intersted in a shell\_exec counterpart.
> 
> thanks

backticks:

result = `echo Hello World!`

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**Author:** ![tesla](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@tesla](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tesla)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-execute-an-external-program-ruby-equivalents-to-php/101536/3 "2006-08-05T21:36:32Z")

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Thanks!

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**Author:** ![tesla](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@tesla](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tesla)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-execute-an-external-program-ruby-equivalents-to-php/101536/4 "2006-08-05T22:39:35Z")

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There are a few others, like #system (I believe). Check out the  
documentation for Kernel.

M.T.

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**Author:** ![tesla](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@tesla](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tesla)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 10:48pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-execute-an-external-program-ruby-equivalents-to-php/101536/5 "2006-08-05T22:48:35Z")

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On 8/6/06, Matt T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> There are a few others, like #system (I believe). Check out the  
> documentation for Kernel.

check popen3 out as well

martin