# Problems with error output interpretation

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problems-with-error-output-interpretation/138002>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [May 19, 2008, 12:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problems-with-error-output-interpretation/138002 "2008-05-19T12:28:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tbcox23](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@tbcox23](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tbcox23)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 12:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problems-with-error-output-interpretation/138002/1 "2008-05-19T12:28:51Z")

</div>

I hope this is an OK place to post this. I’ve been able to find another  
more promising place.

I’m running an extremely simple program, trying to start using the  
Hpricot gem. I don’t understand two things with some error output I’m  
getting. Here’s the program (obviously only a fragment at this time, but  
that’s 'cause I get in trouble easily):

%w(rubygems logger hpricot ruby-debug).each{|lib| require lib }  
doc = open(“index.html”) { |f| Hpricot(f) }  
(doc/“div.page-content-div”).inner\_html

Here’s the console I’m seeing:

$ ruby --debug content\_capture.rb  
Exception `LoadError’ at /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27

- no such file to load – hpricot  
Exception `LoadError’ at /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27
- no such file to load – encoding/character/utf-8  
Exception `LoadError’ at /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:34
- no such file to load – encoding/character/utf-8  
/var/lib/gems/1.8/gems/hpricot-0.6/lib/hpricot/builder.rb:11: warning:  
`&' interpreted as argument prefix Exception`LoadError’ at /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27
- no such file to load – ruby-debug  
$

First of all, there’s nothing in this output which looks like a usable  
(by me) trace - the first thing I want to know is WHERE in my program is  
the error occurring. There aren’t exactly many possibilities, but I’m  
still not understanding why there isn’t a traceback to the point of  
origin of the problem in my tiny program. Makes no sense to me. I’m left  
guessing. Am I missing something?

Secondly, I don’t see what the problem is. The file I’m trying to open  
is assuredly there, and where I’m saying it is. Is this all errors from  
hpricot?

Any help would be much appreciated. I’m beached at this point.

t.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tbcox23](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@tbcox23](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tbcox23)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problems-with-error-output-interpretation/138002/2 "2008-05-19T15:25:48Z")

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On May 19, 5:28 am, Tom C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> (doc/“div.page-content-div”).inner\_html  
> /var/lib/gems/1.8/gems/hpricot-0.6/lib/hpricot/builder.rb:11: warning:  
> guessing. Am I missing something?
> 
> Secondly, I don’t see what the problem is. The file I’m trying to open  
> is assuredly there, and where I’m saying it is. Is this all errors from  
> hpricot?
> 
> Any help would be much appreciated. I’m beached at this point.
> 
> t.
> 
> –

Try running it without the --debug argument and see what happens. I’m  
sure somebody else can explain why, but the LoadError messages are  
common in debug output when using require. (Maybe it has something to  
do with gems?) Those errors don’t have useful (to you) stack traces.

Anyway, when I run your example with debug, I get the errors you  
posted followed by an error stating that ‘index.html’ is not found  
(because I didn’t create one). So, your script is working; you’re just  
getting confused by other libraries’ debug output.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tbcox23](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@tbcox23](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tbcox23)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problems-with-error-output-interpretation/138002/3 "2008-05-20T13:23:11Z")

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yermej wrote:

> > %w(rubygems logger hpricot ruby-debug).each{|lib| require lib }  
> > Exception `LoadError’ at /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:34  
> > still not understanding why there isn’t a traceback to the point of
> 
> (because I didn’t create one). So, your script is working; you’re just  
> getting confused by other libraries’ debug output.

Thank you very much. You were right. No “–debug” = no error messages.  
Game on. Thanks for rescuing me from my ignorance!

t.

–

```auto
Tom C., MS MA, LMHC
Private practice Psychotherapist
Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A: (360) 920-1226
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```