# Starting applications from Ruby

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/starting-applications-from-ruby/87608>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [March 4, 2007, 12:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/starting-applications-from-ruby/87608 "2007-03-04T12:05:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ISP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/8dc957/32.png) [@ISP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ISP)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 12:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/starting-applications-from-ruby/87608/1 "2007-03-04T12:05:46Z")

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ruby-talk ML DE I. P.

At the end of Ruby program I want to show results to user. But sending  
them to standard output isn’t appropriate because of encoding issues  
(cp866 vs cp1251). So I put data to file and finish program with

```
%x{notepad result.txt}

```

(my program is executed in Windows only)

Problem: Ruby interpreter’s process waits until user closes Notepad.

Is there any way to separate that processes: interpreter executes  
program, open Notepad, do not wait until it’s window is closed and  
shutdown?

---

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**Author:** ![ISP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/8dc957/32.png) [@ISP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ISP)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 12:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/starting-applications-from-ruby/87608/2 "2007-03-04T12:25:48Z")

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On 04/03/07, I. P. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Problem: Ruby interpreter’s process waits until user closes Notepad.
> 
> Is there any way to separate that processes: interpreter executes  
> program, open Notepad, do not wait until it’s window is closed and  
> shutdown?
> 
> –  
> I. P. 2007-03-04T13:23

Kernel#exec sounds like what you need.

Farrel

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ISP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/8dc957/32.png) [@ISP](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ISP)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/starting-applications-from-ruby/87608/3 "2007-03-04T15:33:03Z")

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Farrel L. DE I. P.

FL\> Kernel#exec sounds like what you need.  
This way produced the same result:  
exec “notepad result.txt”

- ruby.exe and notepad.exe were both present.

And this way worked just as I want:  
exec “start notepad result.txt”

- ruby.exe closed and notepad.exe is active

Thank you!