# Running a script from a rake task?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/running-a-script-from-a-rake-task/68800>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [February 15, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/running-a-script-from-a-rake-task/68800 "2006-02-15T20:55:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![seanhussey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@seanhussey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/seanhussey)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/running-a-script-from-a-rake-task/68800/1 "2006-02-15T20:55:01Z")

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Hi everyone,

I have 2 scripts (dbload.rb and import\_people.rb) that I want to  
include in a rake task. How can I run an external script in a rake  
task? Do I have to shell out to do it? Or should I just make those  
scripts rake tasks? For this dev environment, that might not be a bad  
thing.

task :cleandb =\> [:db\_schema\_import] do

# Run script/dbload.rb

# Run script/import\_people.rb

end

This is in a Rails environment, but I don’t think it’s a Rails  
specific question, so I’m posting here.

Thank you!

Sean

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**Author:** ![seanhussey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@seanhussey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/seanhussey)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 9:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/running-a-script-from-a-rake-task/68800/2 "2006-02-15T21:10:10Z")

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On Feb 15, 2006, at 1:53 PM, Sean H. wrote:

> Do I have to shell out to do it?

Try this:

> task :cleandb =\> [:db\_schema\_import] do
> 
> # Run script/dbload.rb

ruby “script/dbload.rb”

> # Run script/import\_people.rb

ruby “script/import\_people.rb”

> end

Hope that helps.

James Edward G. II

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![seanhussey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@seanhussey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/seanhussey)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/running-a-script-from-a-rake-task/68800/3 "2006-02-15T21:28:21Z")

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Good lord, it’s that easy? Silly me.

Thank you!

Sean