# Platform **URL:** \ **Category:** IronRuby\ **Created:** [October 29, 2009, 8:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/platform/178107 "2009-10-29T08:25:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![confundido](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@confundido](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/confundido)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 8:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/platform/178107/1 "2009-10-29T08:25:46Z")
I noticed that the PLATFORM and RUBY\_PLATFORM constants returns the same string when running from MRI as from IronRuby. Is there a standard Ruby constant or Kernel method or something that will indicate that the interpreter is IronRuby as opposed to MRI? While it is certainly true that the OS is the same when running from both environments, it would seem pretty useful to me to be able to distinguish, as JRuby does, so we can write libraries that can selectively do things like selectively take advantage of the .NET BCL if present. There are probably easy enough ways to work around this, like ‘begin require System @platform=“ir” rescue LoadError end’ but using PLATFORM directly feels like it would be more elegant. ---
**Author:** ![confundido](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@confundido](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/confundido)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 8:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/platform/178107/2 "2009-10-29T08:30:27Z")
I use IRONRUBY\_VERSION require ‘caricature/clr’ if defined?(IRONRUBY\_VERSION) ## But we do need to find a way to “fix” the rbconfig file because it would be good to interrogate that sometimes. Met vriendelijke groeten - Best regards - Salutations Ivan Porto C. Blog: [http://flanders.co.nz](http://flanders.co.nz) Twitter: [http://twitter.com/casualjim](http://twitter.com/casualjim) Author of IronRuby in Action ([http://manning.com/carrero](http://manning.com/carrero)) On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 8:25 AM, Nathan Stults ---
**Author:** ![confundido](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@confundido](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/confundido)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 8:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/platform/178107/3 "2009-10-29T08:29:17Z")
You can use this construct: > > > defined? RUBY\_ENGINE and RUBY\_ENGINE == “ironruby” > > > =\> true From: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [[mailto:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)] On Behalf Of Nathan Stults Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 12:26 AM To: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid Subject: [Ironruby-core] Platform I noticed that the PLATFORM and RUBY\_PLATFORM constants returns the same string when running from MRI as from IronRuby. Is there a standard Ruby constant or Kernel method or something that will indicate that the interpreter is IronRuby as opposed to MRI? While it is certainly true that the OS is the same when running from both environments, it would seem pretty useful to me to be able to distinguish, as JRuby does, so we can write libraries that can selectively do things like selectively take advantage of the .NET BCL if present. There are probably easy enough ways to work around this, like ‘begin require System @platform=“ir” rescue LoadError end’ but using PLATFORM directly feels like it would be more elegant. ---
**Author:** ![confundido](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@confundido](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/confundido)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/platform/178107/4 "2009-10-29T13:59:58Z")
Very nice, thank you From: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [[mailto:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)] On Behalf Of Shri B. Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 12:29 AM To: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid Subject: Re: [Ironruby-core] Platform You can use this construct: > > > defined? RUBY\_ENGINE and RUBY\_ENGINE == “ironruby” =\> true From: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [[mailto:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)] On Behalf Of Nathan Stults Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 12:26 AM To: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid Subject: [Ironruby-core] Platform I noticed that the PLATFORM and RUBY\_PLATFORM constants returns the same string when running from MRI as from IronRuby. Is there a standard Ruby constant or Kernel method or something that will indicate that the interpreter is IronRuby as opposed to MRI? While it is certainly true that the OS is the same when running from both environments, it would seem pretty useful to me to be able to distinguish, as JRuby does, so we can write libraries that can selectively do things like selectively take advantage of the .NET BCL if present. There are probably easy enough ways to work around this, like ‘begin require System @platform=“ir” rescue LoadError end’ but using PLATFORM directly feels like it would be more elegant.