Odd Problem with Command Line Args

Ruby
1

For some reason when using command line arguments to specify input
files, whenever I use ‘gets’ it seems to be reading from the argument
files instead of STDIN.

My code is something like this (simplified):

emp_file = ARGV[0]
inp_file = ARGV[1]
out_file = ARGV[2]

print "Please enter the first date of the pay period (MM/DD/YYYY): "
date = gets
puts date
exit

Now instead of allowing me to type a response it is just spitting out
the first line of the file that is given by ARGV[0]. In this case the
file is a list of 3 digit numbers and just spits out “###\n” and exits
without allowing me to type anything. Any ideas on why this is
happening? Do I need to clear ‘gets’ or something?
Thanks

2

Check out the doucmentation on gets method with: ri Kernel#gets

3

On Dec 19, 2006, at 10:27 AM, Alex C. wrote:

out_file = ARGV[2]
file is a list of 3 digit numbers and just spits out “###\n” and exits
without allowing me to type anything. Any ideas on why this is
happening?

It sounds like Ruby reproduces Perl’s magical treatment of the
commandline args. (Input is taken from the files listed on the
command line, unles stdin is redirected.)

Perhaps you need to clear the ARGV array after reading the values
out? For instance, use

emp_file = ARGV.shift
inp_file = ARGV.shift
out_file = ARGV.shift

instead of what you had above.

TomP