# Ruby and irb

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-and-irb/118589>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [October 29, 2007, 9:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-and-irb/118589 "2007-10-29T09:36:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/crazybass)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 9:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-and-irb/118589/1 "2007-10-29T09:36:04Z")

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Hello

I have a problem with irb console.

When i want to write special characters like “@” and “[” or “]” i cant.  
IRB simply dont let me write this characters. It is like if i was not  
writing on the beyboard.

Any help?

thanks

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**Author:** ![crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/crazybass)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 9:48am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-and-irb/118589/2 "2007-10-29T09:48:03Z")

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On Behalf Of Paulo C.:

# I have a problem with irb console.

# When i want to write special characters like “@” and “[” or

# “]” i cant. IRB simply dont let me write this characters. It

# is like if i was not writing on the beyboard.

i’m assumming you do not have an english keyboard,

try

irb --noreadline

kind regards -botp

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/crazybass)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 10:02am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-and-irb/118589/3 "2007-10-29T10:02:07Z")

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Yes you are right. Thank you.

Now instead of executing “irb --noreadline” is there a place where i can  
put the “–noreadline” option to be executed always when irb is called?

My problem is that, i am debugging an application with the “breakpoint”  
instruction. This instruction opens an irb console. So I would like that  
the irb console to be called automatically with the noreadline option…

Do you know how can I make it?

thanks

Peña, Botp wrote:

> On Behalf Of Paulo C.:
> 
> # I have a problem with irb console.
> 
> # When i want to write special characters like “@” and “[” or
> 
> # “]” i cant. IRB simply dont let me write this characters. It
> 
> # is like if i was not writing on the beyboard.
> 
> i’m assumming you do not have an english keyboard,
> 
> try
> 
> irb --noreadline
> 
> kind regards -botp

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/crazybass)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 10:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-and-irb/118589/4 "2007-10-29T10:29:00Z")

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From: Paulo C. [[mailto:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)]

# Now instead of executing “irb --noreadline” is there a place

# where i can put the “–noreadline” option to be executed always

# when irb is called?

# 

# My problem is that, i am debugging an application with the

# “breakpoint”

# instruction. This instruction opens an irb console. So I

# would like that

# the irb console to be called automatically with the

# noreadline option…

# 

# Do you know how can I make it?

maybe, 2 ways

1. modify the irb shellscript (in windows it’s a batch file)

or

1. create/modify your .irbrc file  
if you have an existing .irbrc file (it’s just a ruby file that irb  
loads by default if it exists), try putting the ff line (pref at the  
top) of th irbrc script

the second option is more flexible and recommended, imho

kind regards -botp

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/crazybass)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 10:34am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-and-irb/118589/5 "2007-10-29T10:34:51Z")

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Hi

On 10/29/07, Paulo C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Yes you are right. Thank you.
> 
> Now instead of executing “irb --noreadline” is there a place where i can  
> put the “–noreadline” option to be executed always when irb is called?

Try putting the following option in your .irbrc file

IRB.conf[:USE\_READLINE] = nil

The pickaxe has more:  
[http://www.ruby-doc.org/docs/ProgrammingRuby/html/irb.html](http://www.ruby-doc.org/docs/ProgrammingRuby/html/irb.html)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/crazybass)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 11:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-and-irb/118589/6 "2007-10-29T11:14:06Z")

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Thanks

I created the .irbrc file (because i dont have anyone) but it seems that  
is not used.  
I am in windows with instant rails. I created the file in the  
\InstantRails\ruby directory but I think it is not the right place to  
have it.

Am I wrong?

regards

Peña, Botp wrote:

> From: Paulo C. [[mailto:removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)]
> 
> # Now instead of executing “irb --noreadline” is there a place
> 
> # where i can put the “–noreadline” option to be executed always
> 
> # when irb is called?
> 
> # 
> 
> # My problem is that, i am debugging an application with the
> 
> # “breakpoint”
> 
> # instruction. This instruction opens an irb console. So I
> 
> # would like that
> 
> # the irb console to be called automatically with the
> 
> # noreadline option…
> 
> # 
> 
> # Do you know how can I make it?
> 
> maybe, 2 ways
> 
> 1. modify the irb shellscript (in windows it’s a batch file)
> 
> or
> 
> 1. create/modify your .irbrc file  
> if you have an existing .irbrc file (it’s just a ruby file that irb  
> loads by default if it exists), try putting the ff line (pref at the  
> top) of th irbrc script
> 
> the second option is more flexible and recommended, imho
> 
> kind regards -botp

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@crazybass](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/crazybass)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 12:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-and-irb/118589/7 "2007-10-29T12:08:59Z")

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I found the problem.

Thanks

regards