# Quick question

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/quick-question/126386>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [January 17, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/quick-question/126386 "2008-01-17T22:11:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![johnsmith](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d9b06d/32.png) [@johnsmith](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnsmith)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/quick-question/126386/1 "2008-01-17T22:11:32Z")

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hey

how do i access i global variable in ruby?

thanks

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**Author:** ![johnsmith](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d9b06d/32.png) [@johnsmith](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnsmith)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/quick-question/126386/2 "2008-01-17T22:14:14Z")

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Johnathan S. wrote:

> hey
> 
> how do i access i global variable in ruby?
> 
> thanks

Trick question! There are no globals in ruby! What do I win?

ilan

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**Author:** ![johnsmith](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d9b06d/32.png) [@johnsmith](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnsmith)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/quick-question/126386/3 "2008-01-17T22:19:43Z")

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Ilan B. wrote:

> ilan

Sorry…

Global variables begin with $

irb(main):001:0\> def a\_method  
irb(main):002:1\> puts $global\_var  
irb(main):003:1\> end  
=\> nil  
irb(main):004:0\> a\_method  
nil  
=\> nil  
irb(main):005:0\> $global\_var = “Hi, there. I’m a global”  
=\> “Hi, there. I’m a global”  
irb(main):006:0\> a\_method  
Hi, there. I’m a global  
=\> nil

-Justin

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![johnsmith](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d9b06d/32.png) [@johnsmith](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnsmith)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/quick-question/126386/4 "2008-01-17T22:40:18Z")

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Justin C. wrote:

> Ilan B. wrote:
> 
> > ilan
> 
> Sorry…
> 
> Global variables begin with $
> 
> irb(main):001:0\> def a\_method  
> irb(main):002:1\> puts $global\_var  
> irb(main):003:1\> end  
> =\> nil  
> irb(main):004:0\> a\_method  
> nil  
> =\> nil  
> irb(main):005:0\> $global\_var = “Hi, there. I’m a global”  
> =\> “Hi, there. I’m a global”  
> irb(main):006:0\> a\_method  
> Hi, there. I’m a global  
> =\> nil
> 
> -Justin

Sorry… I had a brain fart… was thinking of methods… should have read  
more carefully…

irb(main):001:0\> $global\_var = “global!”  
=\> “global!”  
irb(main):002:0\> global\_variables.grep /global\_var/  
=\> ["$global\_var"]  
irb(main):003:0\>

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![johnsmith](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d9b06d/32.png) [@johnsmith](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnsmith)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/quick-question/126386/5 "2008-01-17T22:20:25Z")

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cheers guys