# Ruby 1.9 and unicode

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-9-and-unicode/126125>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [January 15, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-9-and-unicode/126125 "2008-01-15T16:52:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![marcin\_r](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@marcin\_r](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/marcin_r)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-9-and-unicode/126125/1 "2008-01-15T16:52:48Z")

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Well i tried to play a little with new unicode features.

i wanted to do something like this:

def Σ(\*args)  
args.inject(0){|sum,el| sum+el}  
end

and use it like Σ[1,2,3,4]

BUT:

swistak@sreberko:~$ irb1.9  
irb(main):001:0\> # -_- encoding: utf-8 -_-  
irb(main):002:0\* Σ(1,2,3)  
=\> nil  
swistak@sreberko:~$

* * *

swistak@sreberko:~$ irb1.9  
irb(main):001:0\> def Σ(\*args)  
SyntaxError: compile error  
(irb):1: syntax error, unexpected $end  
from (irb):1:in `Kernel#binding’  
swistak@sreberko:~$

* * *

as you can see it’s droping back to shell after i type unicode character  
in.

I’m using Debian etch. Gnome + gnome terminal.

Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![marcin\_r](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@marcin\_r](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/marcin_r)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-9-and-unicode/126125/2 "2008-01-15T18:03:17Z")

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Marcin R. wrote:

> Well i tried to play a little with new unicode features.
> 
> i wanted to do something like this:

> Any ideas?

I try with netbeans and from command in windows: it works!  
But not with irb.

You ca try with a script and run the script with ruby interpreter

tiziano

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**Author:** ![marcin\_r](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@marcin\_r](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/marcin_r)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-1-9-and-unicode/126125/3 "2008-01-15T21:45:12Z")

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Tiziano M. wrote:

> You ca try with a script and run the script with ruby interpreter
> 
> tiziano

Strange, anyone can confirm that behavior? mayby some compiler flags ?