# Help Please! **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [3 January 2008 07:28 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470 "2008-01-03T07:28:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![1up\_gfx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/a87d85/32.png) [@1up\_gfx](https://rubytalk.org/u/1up_gfx)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 07:28 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/1 "2008-01-03T07:28:19Z")
I'm new to Ruby, and have basically NO previous coding experience in any other language. What I'm trying to do is create a program that will run from cmd prompt, and let people type in words, or paragraphs etc., and then have those words etc. reversed. Example: This is my sentence =\> sentence my is This Any help with this would be greatly appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Kelly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Bill\_Kelly](https://rubytalk.org/u/Bill_Kelly)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 07:38 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/2 "2008-01-03T07:38:25Z")
> I'm new to Ruby, and have basically NO previous coding experience in any > other language. > > What I'm trying to do is create a program that will run from cmd prompt, and > let people type in words, or paragraphs etc., and then have those words etc. > reversed. > > Example: > > This is my sentence =\> sentence my is This > > Any help with this would be greatly appreciated! Do you have `ri` installed on your system? ri is a program which can provide help with Ruby's core classes and methods. Try (from your command prompt, not from IRB) ri String#split ri Array#reverse ri Array#join Hope this helps, Bill > **···** > > From: "1up gfx" \ ---
**Author:** ![Wes\_Bailey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c57346/32.png) [@Wes\_Bailey](https://rubytalk.org/u/Wes_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 07:48 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/3 "2008-01-03T07:48:24Z")
~\> ruby -e 'ARGF.each { |l| puts l.split.reverse.join( " " ) }' this is my sentence sentence my is this Its a great answer to your assignment if you can explain what all is happening. Good Luck! Wes > **···** > > On Jan 2, 2008, at 11:28 PM, 1up gfx wrote: > > > I'm new to Ruby, and have basically NO previous coding experience in any > > other language. > > > > What I'm trying to do is create a program that will run from cmd prompt, and > > let people type in words, or paragraphs etc., and then have those words etc. > > reversed. > > > > Example: > > > > This is my sentence =\> sentence my is This > > > > Any help with this would be greatly appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![nox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@nox](https://rubytalk.org/u/nox)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 14:49 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/4 "2008-01-03T14:49:59Z")
> What I'm trying to do is create a program that will run from cmd prompt, and > let people type in words, or paragraphs etc., and then have those words etc. > reversed. I can't remember where exactly, but this is covered in at least one of the basic tutorials (I know because I ran through them!). Do a google search for "Ruby tutorial" and check some of those out. If you can't find it after searching let me know and I'll try to track it down. ---
**Author:** ![Giles\_Bowkett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Giles\_Bowkett](https://rubytalk.org/u/Giles_Bowkett)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 14:57 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/5 "2008-01-03T14:57:28Z")
> I'm new to Ruby, and have basically NO previous coding experience in any > other language. > > What I'm trying to do is create a program that will run from cmd prompt, and > let people type in words, or paragraphs etc., and then have those words etc. > reversed. > > Example: > > This is my sentence =\> sentence my is This > > Any help with this would be greatly appreciated! First attempt: \ [01-03 06:50] ~ ! irb > > gets.reverse This is my sentence =\> "\necnetnes ym si sihT" Second attempt: \ [01-03 06:51] ~ ! irb > > got = gets This is my sentence =\> "This is my sentence\n" > > got.chomp! # remove the newline =\> "This is my sentence" > > gots = got.split # turn it into an array =\> ["This", "is", "my", "sentence"] > > gots.reverse.join(" ") + "." # reverse the array, join it with spaces, add a dot =\> "sentence my is This." voila! > **···** > > On 1/2/08, 1up gfx \ wrote: > > -- > Giles Bowkett > > Podcast: [http://hollywoodgrit.blogspot.com](http://hollywoodgrit.blogspot.com) > Blog: [http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com](http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com) > Portfolio: [http://www.gilesgoatboy.org](http://www.gilesgoatboy.org) > Tumblelog: [http://giles.tumblr.com](http://giles.tumblr.com) ---
**Author:** ![1up\_gfx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/a87d85/32.png) [@1up\_gfx](https://rubytalk.org/u/1up_gfx)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 07:54 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/6 "2008-01-03T07:54:31Z")
W > **···** > > On Jan 3, 2008 12:48 AM, Wes Bailey \ wrote: > > > On Jan 2, 2008, at 11:28 PM, 1up gfx wrote: > > > > \> I'm new to Ruby, and have basically NO previous coding experience in > > \> any > > \> other language. > > \> > > \> What I'm trying to do is create a program that will run from cmd > > \> prompt, and > > \> let people type in words, or paragraphs etc., and then have those > > \> words etc. > > \> reversed. > > \> > > \> Example: > > \> > > \> This is my sentence =\> sentence my is This > > \> > > \> Any help with this would be greatly appreciated! > > > > ~\> ruby -e 'ARGF.each { |l| puts l.split.reverse.join( " " ) }' > > this is my sentence > > sentence my is this > > > > Its a great answer to your assignment if you can explain what all is > > happening. Good Luck! > > > > Wes > > > > Well, It's not really an assignment. I'm getting my cousin (who is a Java > > programmer) to help me out with programming. He's basically just giving me > > little tasks to do so that I become more familiar with programming. But, > > since I don't really have any previous experience, I don't really know what > > to do half of the time. Thanks for your replies though. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Perrin1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@Chad\_Perrin1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Chad_Perrin1)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 11:01 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/7 "2008-01-03T11:01:06Z")
Also:   ri Kernel#gets   ri Kernel#puts . . . and, aside from basic Ruby syntax, that might be everything you need for the program. > **···** > > On Thu, Jan 03, 2008 at 04:38:25PM +0900, Bill Kelly wrote: > > > From: "1up gfx" \ > > \> > > \>I'm new to Ruby, and have basically NO previous coding experience in any > > \>other language. > > \> > > \>What I'm trying to do is create a program that will run from cmd prompt, > > \>and > > \>let people type in words, or paragraphs etc., and then have those words > > \>etc. > > \>reversed. > > \> > > \>Example: > > \> > > \>This is my sentence =\> sentence my is This > > \> > > \>Any help with this would be greatly appreciated! > > > > Do you have `ri` installed on your system? > > > > ri is a program which can provide help with Ruby's core > > classes and methods. > > > > Try (from your command prompt, not from IRB) > > > > ri String#split > > > > ri Array#reverse > > > > ri Array#join > > -- > CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [[http://ccd.apotheon.org](http://ccd.apotheon.org) ] > Rudy Giuliani: "You have free speech so I can be heard." ---
**Author:** ![Joel\_VanderWerf1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/94ad74/32.png) [@Joel\_VanderWerf1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Joel_VanderWerf1)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 17:53 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/8 "2008-01-03T17:53:22Z")
Wes Bailey wrote: > ~\> ruby -e 'ARGF.each { |l| puts l.split.reverse.join( " " ) }' > this is my sentence > sentence my is this Golfing away... $ ruby -ane 'puts $F.reverse.join(" ")' 1 2 3 3 2 1 > **···** > > -- >        vjoel : Joel VanderWerf : path berkeley edu : 510 665 3407 ---
**Author:** ![Wes\_Bailey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c57346/32.png) [@Wes\_Bailey](https://rubytalk.org/u/Wes_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 18:31 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/9 "2008-01-03T18:31:17Z")
Oh that's clever! I do believe you have honors on the next tee. 😉 Wes > **···** > > > Golfing away... > > > > $ ruby -ane 'puts $F.reverse.join(" ")' > > 1 2 3 > > 3 2 1 > > > > -- > >       vjoel : Joel VanderWerf : path berkeley edu : 510 665 3407 ---
**Author:** ![1up\_gfx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/a87d85/32.png) [@1up\_gfx](https://rubytalk.org/u/1up_gfx)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 19:46 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/10 "2008-01-03T19:46:57Z")
irb(main):001:0\> puts $F.reverse.join(" ") NoMethodError: undefined method `reverse' for nil:NilClass     from (irb):1 irb(main):002:0\> > **···** > > On Jan 3, 2008 10:53 AM, Joel VanderWerf \ wrote: > > > Wes Bailey wrote: > > \> ~\> ruby -e 'ARGF.each { |l| puts l.split.reverse.join( " " ) }' > > \> this is my sentence > > \> sentence my is this > > > > Golfing away... > > > > $ ruby -ane 'puts $F.reverse.join(" ")' > > 1 2 3 > > 3 2 1 > > > > -- > >       vjoel : Joel VanderWerf : path berkeley edu : 510 665 3407 > > > > It doesn't like your code... I keep on getting errors: ---
**Author:** ![Joshua\_Schairbaum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@Joshua\_Schairbaum](https://rubytalk.org/u/Joshua_Schairbaum)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 19:58 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/11 "2008-01-03T19:58:45Z")
You don't use irb for that. At the command prompt, that's the ruby command you give it. $F = is an environmental variable that can receive split line input as an array a = autosplit mode, basically takes the input and splits it out n = pauses the command, like assuming a "while" command e = the command regards, ch0wda > **···** > > On Jan 3, 2008, at 2:46 PM, 1up gfx wrote: > > > On Jan 3, 2008 10:53 AM, Joel VanderWerf \ \> wrote: > > > > > Wes Bailey wrote: > > > > > > > ~\> ruby -e 'ARGF.each { |l| puts l.split.reverse.join( " " ) }' > > > > this is my sentence > > > > sentence my is this > > > > > > Golfing away... > > > > > > $ ruby -ane 'puts $F.reverse.join(" ")' > > > 1 2 3 > > > 3 2 1 > > > > > > -- > > >       vjoel : Joel VanderWerf : path berkeley edu : 510 665 3407 > > > > > > It doesn't like your code... I keep on getting errors: > > > > irb(main):001:0\> puts $F.reverse.join(" ") > > NoMethodError: undefined method `reverse' for nil:NilClass > >     from (irb):1 > > irb(main):002:0\> ---
**Author:** ![1up\_gfx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/a87d85/32.png) [@1up\_gfx](https://rubytalk.org/u/1up_gfx)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2008 23:23 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/help-please/43470/12 "2008-01-03T23:23:51Z")
guys! > **···** > > On Jan 3, 2008 12:58 PM, Joshua Schairbaum \ wrote: > > > You don't use irb for that. At the command prompt, that's the ruby > > command you give it. > > $F = is an environmental variable that can receive split line input > > as an array > > > > a = autosplit mode, basically takes the input and splits it out > > n = pauses the command, like assuming a "while" command > > e = the command > > > > regards, > > ch0wda > > On Jan 3, 2008, at 2:46 PM, 1up gfx wrote: > > > > \> On Jan 3, 2008 10:53 AM, Joel VanderWerf \ \> \> wrote: > > \> > > \>\> Wes Bailey wrote: > > \>\>\> ~\> ruby -e 'ARGF.each { |l| puts l.split.reverse.join( " " ) }' > > \>\>\> this is my sentence > > \>\>\> sentence my is this > > \>\> > > \>\> Golfing away... > > \>\> > > \>\> $ ruby -ane 'puts $F.reverse.join(" ")' > > \>\> 1 2 3 > > \>\> 3 2 1 > > \>\> > > \>\> -- > > \>\> vjoel : Joel VanderWerf : path berkeley edu : 510 665 3407 > > \>\> > > \>\> It doesn't like your code... I keep on getting errors: > > \> > > \> irb(main):001:0\> puts $F.reverse.join(" ") > > \> NoMethodError: undefined method `reverse' for nil:NilClass > > \> from (irb):1 > > \> irb(main):002:0\> > > > > Alright, never mind, I got the program to work. Thank you for your help