# Argument error --- How to solve? **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [9 November 2011 20:35 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/argument-error-how-to-solve/64097 "2011-11-09T20:35:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ar\_Ik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@Ar\_Ik](https://rubytalk.org/u/Ar_Ik)\ **Post date:** [9 November 2011 20:35 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/argument-error-how-to-solve/64097/1 "2011-11-09T20:35:54Z")
I麓m at the very beginning with Ruby and give again and again this error program.rb:6:in `gsub': broken utf-8 string (argumenterror) when I'm trying this short code: #coding:utf-8 temp="" txtfile=File.open("8-3\_tiedosto.txt","r");txtfile.each{|row|temp=temp+row};txtfile.close temp = temp.gsub("脜", '') puts temp The original text in the file contains characters that I do not to include to my final result, that should only contain ASCII 65..90 and 97..122. So I do not understand, what arguments should be given to gsub? I'm sorry because of my stupidity 馃檪 > **路路路** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Carina\_C\_Zona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@Carina\_C\_Zona](https://rubytalk.org/u/Carina_C_Zona)\ **Post date:** [10 November 2011 04:20 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/argument-error-how-to-solve/64097/2 "2011-11-10T04:20:27Z")
Your first argument to gsub appears to be ASCII 197. > **路路路** > > On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 12:35 PM, Ar Ik \ wrote: > > > I麓m at the very beginning with Ruby and give again and again this error > > > > program.rb:6:in `gsub': broken utf-8 string (argumenterror) > > > > when I'm trying this short code: > > > > #coding:utf-8 > > > > temp="" > > txtfile=File.open("8-3\_tiedosto.txt","r");txtfile.each{|row|temp=temp+row};txtfile.close > > > > temp = temp.gsub("脜", '') > > puts temp > > > > The original text in the file contains characters that I do not to > > include to my final result, that should only contain ASCII 65..90 and > > 97..122. So I do not understand, what arguments should be given to gsub? > > > > I'm sorry because of my stupidity 馃檪 > > > > -- > > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/\](http://www.ruby-forum.com/%5C). > > -- > Carina ---
**Author:** ![Ar\_Ik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@Ar\_Ik](https://rubytalk.org/u/Ar_Ik)\ **Post date:** [10 November 2011 08:03 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/argument-error-how-to-solve/64097/3 "2011-11-10T08:03:13Z")
Not possile to edit previous, so additional comment: My environment do not allow to change character statement at the first line... > **路路路** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Nik\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@Nik\_Z](https://rubytalk.org/u/Nik_Z)\ **Post date:** [10 November 2011 22:54 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/argument-error-how-to-solve/64097/4 "2011-11-10T22:54:44Z")
--Try doing this and see if it helps with your substitution experience, without getting too involved with Ruby's encoding mechanism #coding:utf-8 ## Do NOT delete the above utf-8 line, which ## you already have in your original copy temp="" txtfile=File.open("8-3\_tiedosto.txt","r") txtfile.each{|row|temp=temp+row} txtfile.close tmp = temp.gsub(/[^A-Z0-9[:punct:]\s]+/ix, '') puts tmp PS--I left the numericals and all kinds of punctuational marks in there, just in case if you have them in the original file--though there are certainly not within your original range of ASCII 65..90 and 97..122 > **路路路** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Ar\_Ik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@Ar\_Ik](https://rubytalk.org/u/Ar_Ik)\ **Post date:** [10 November 2011 07:14 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/argument-error-how-to-solve/64097/5 "2011-11-10T07:14:06Z")
C. Zona wrote in post #1031196: > Your first argument to gsub appears to be ASCII 197. Yes, You're correct, but still I do not know how to fix my code...As the source text contains chars not among 65..90 and 97..122, how I can remove or replace them? > **路路路** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/\](http://www.ruby-forum.com/%5C). ---
**Author:** ![Robert\_K1](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/rubytalk.org/robert_k1/32/1830_2.png) [@Robert\_K1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Robert_K1)\ **Post date:** [10 November 2011 09:03 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/argument-error-how-to-solve/64097/6 "2011-11-10T09:03:12Z")
If you insert this line at the beginning of the script, what does it print? p("".encoding) Btw, you can simplify reading by doing txtfile = File.read("8-3\_tiedosto.txt", encoding: 'UTF-8') assuming your file is encoded in UTF-8. You might have to play with Encoding.default\_external= Encoding.default\_internal= For more please see > **[Gray Soft / Not Found](http://graysoftinc.com/articles/miscellaneous_m17n_details)** > > Something has gone wrong. Kind regards robert > **路路路** > > On Thu, Nov 10, 2011 at 9:03 AM, Ar Ik \ wrote: > > > Not possile to edit previous, so additional comment: My environment do > > not allow to change character statement at the first line... > > -- > remember.guy do |as, often| as.you\_can - without end > [http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/](http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Luca\_Email](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@Luca\_Email](https://rubytalk.org/u/Luca_Email)\ **Post date:** [29 December 2011 06:58 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/argument-error-how-to-solve/64097/7 "2011-12-29T06:58:13Z")
-----Messaggio originale----- > **路路路** > > Da: Nik Z. [[mailto:esperantoca@gmail.com](mailto:esperantoca@gmail.com)] > Inviato: gioved矛 10 novembre 2011 23:55 > A: ruby-talk ML > Oggetto: Re: Argument error --- How to solve? > > --Try doing this and see if it helps with your substitution experience, > without getting too involved with Ruby's encoding mechanism > > #coding:utf-8 > > ## Do NOT delete the above utf-8 line, which ## you already have in your > original copy > > temp="" > txtfile=File.open("8-3\_tiedosto.txt","r") > txtfile.each{|row|temp=temp+row} > txtfile.close > > tmp = temp.gsub(/[^A-Z0-9[:punct:]\s]+/ix, '') > > puts tmp > > PS--I left the numericals and all kinds of punctuational marks in there, > just in case if you have them in the original file--though there are > certainly not within your original range of ASCII 65..90 and 97..122 > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). > > -- > Caselle da 1GB, trasmetti allegati fino a 3GB e in piu' IMAP, POP3 e SMTP autenticato? GRATIS solo con [Email.it](http://Email.it) [http://www.email.it/f](http://www.email.it/f) > > Sponsor: > Conto Arancio al 4,20%. Zero spese e massima liberta', aprilo in due minuti! > Clicca qui: [http://adv.email.it/cgi-bin/foclick.cgi?mid](http://adv.email.it/cgi-bin/foclick.cgi?mid)922&d)-12 ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Candler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Brian\_Candler](https://rubytalk.org/u/Brian_Candler)\ **Post date:** [10 November 2011 20:41 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/argument-error-how-to-solve/64097/8 "2011-11-10T20:41:29Z")
Ar Ik wrote in post #1031208: > C. Zona wrote in post #1031196: > > > Your first argument to gsub appears to be ASCII 197. > > Yes, You're correct, but still I do not know how to fix my code...As the > source text contains chars not among 65..90 and 97..122, how I can > remove or replace them? Strings in ruby 1.9 are complicated beasts. I had a go at understanding them: > So it really depends on what you're trying to do. If you want to manipulate this file as a series of bytes, and match particular bytes, then open it in binary mode ('rb'), and pass only binary strings to gsub.   temp.gsub!("xxx".force\_encoding("BINARY"), "") The trouble with opening the file as UTF-8, and doing regexp matches with UTF-8 characters, is that your program will crash when fed invalid UTF-8 data. So it is not good for "data cleaning" exercises. But strangely, ruby 1.9 is quite happy to deal with invalid strings in some contexts. For example, if you do    temp.size.times do |i|      puts temp[i]    end then it will work even if the i'th character is invalid. Go figure. > **路路路** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/\](http://www.ruby-forum.com/%5C). ---
**Author:** ![Luca\_Email](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@Luca\_Email](https://rubytalk.org/u/Luca_Email)\ **Post date:** [29 December 2011 10:35 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/argument-error-how-to-solve/64097/9 "2011-12-29T10:35:20Z")
-----Messaggio originale----- > **路路路** > > Da: Luca (Email) [[mailto:luca.pagano@email.it](mailto:luca.pagano@email.it)] > Inviato: gioved矛 29 dicembre 2011 07:58 > A: ruby-talk ML > Oggetto: I: Argument error --- How to solve? > > -- > Caselle da 1GB, trasmetti allegati fino a 3GB e in piu' IMAP, POP3 e SMTP autenticato? GRATIS solo con [Email.it](http://Email.it) [http://www.email.it/f](http://www.email.it/f) > > Sponsor: > Riccione Hotel 3 stelle in centro: Pacchetto Capodanno mezza pensione, animazione bimbi, zona relax, parcheggio. Scopri l'offerta solo per oggi... > Clicca qui: [http://adv.email.it/cgi-bin/foclick.cgi?mid](http://adv.email.it/cgi-bin/foclick.cgi?mid)983&d)-12