# Irb request **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [6 October 2004 08:45 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/irb-request/13988 "2004-10-06T08:45:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![\_Pena\_Botp1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/94ad74/32.png) [@\_Pena\_Botp1](https://rubytalk.org/u/_Pena_Botp1)\ **Post date:** [6 October 2004 08:45 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/irb-request/13988/1 "2004-10-06T08:45:48Z")
Hi All: Forgive me in advance for this stupid request: How can I make irb work from this: > **···** > > ------------------ > irb(main):015:0\> 1 > =\> 1 > irb(main):016:0\> 2+2 > =\> 4 > irb(main):017:0\> > irb(main):018:0\> 5.times{p "hello ruby"} > "hello ruby" > "hello ruby" > "hello ruby" > "hello ruby" > "hello ruby" > =\> 5 > ------------------ > > to this: > ------------------ > 1 #=\> 1 > 2+2 #=\> 4 > > 5.times{p "hello ruby"} #"hello ruby" >         #"hello ruby" >         #"hello ruby" >         #"hello ruby" >         #"hello ruby" >         #=\> 5 > ------------------ > > iow, > > 1. I want to remove the prompt char > 2. I want output of irb not to be placed right below, but right next at a > certain column (so that output aligns) > 3. I want the output prefixed w # char (easy for cut & paste) > > thanks in advance > -botp ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_SchrA\_der](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@Brian\_SchrA\_der](https://rubytalk.org/u/Brian_SchrA_der)\ **Post date:** [6 October 2004 10:32 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/irb-request/13988/2 "2004-10-06T10:32:41Z")
Peña, Botp wrote: > Hi All: > > Forgive me in advance for this stupid request: > > How can I make irb work > > from this: > ------------------ > irb(main):015:0\> 1 > =\> 1 > irb(main):016:0\> 2+2 > =\> 4 > irb(main):017:0\> > irb(main):018:0\> 5.times{p "hello ruby"} > "hello ruby" > =\> 5 > ------------------ > > to this: > ------------------ > 1 #=\> 1 > 2+2 #=\> 4 > > 5.times{p "hello ruby"} #"hello ruby" >         #"hello ruby" >         #=\> 5 > ------------------ > > iow, > > 1. I want to remove the prompt char > 2. I want output of irb not to be placed right below, but right next at a > certain column (so that output aligns) > 3. I want the output prefixed w # char (easy for cut & paste) > > thanks in advance > -botp A partial answer is: $ irb --prompt-mode xmp 1 + 2      ==\>3 5-3      ==\>2 For more information read man irb As i see it, it is not possible to get the output on the line. Maybe also investigate the emacs xmp package. regards, Brian ---- part of man irb ---- Customizing prompt         To costomize the prompt you set a variable             IRB.conf[:PROMPT]         For example, describe as follows in `.irbrc'.             IRB.conf[:PROMPT][:MY\_PROMPT] = { # name of prompt mode               :PROMPT\_I =\> nil, # normal prompt               :PROMPT\_S =\> nil, # prompt for continuated strings               :PROMPT\_C =\> nil, # prompt for continuated statement               :RETURN =\> " ==\>%s\n" # format to return value             }         Then, invoke irb with the above prompt mode by             $ irb1.8 --prompt my-prompt         Or add the following in `.irbrc'.             IRB.conf[:PROMPT\_MODE] = :MY\_PROMPT         Constants PROMPT\_I, PROMPT\_S and PROMPT\_C specifies the format. In the prompt specification, some special strings are available.             %N command name which is running             %m to\_s of main object (self)             %M inspect of main object (self)             %l type of string(", ', /, ]), `]' is inner %w[...]             %NNi indent level. NN is degits and means as same as printf("%NNd").                   It can be ommited             %NNn line number.             %% %         For instance, the default prompt mode is defined as follows: IRB.conf[:PROMPT\_MODE][:DEFAULT] = {         PROMPT\_I =\> "%N(%m):%03n:%i\> ",         PROMPT\_S =\> "%N(%m):%03n:%i%l ",         PROMPT\_C =\> "%N(%m):%03n:%i\* ",         RETURN =\> "%s\n"}                RETURN is used to printf. > **···** > > -- > Brian Schröder > [http://ruby.brian-schroeder.de/](http://ruby.brian-schroeder.de/) ---
**Author:** ![Joel\_VanderWerf1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/94ad74/32.png) [@Joel\_VanderWerf1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Joel_VanderWerf1)\ **Post date:** [18 October 2004 22:32 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/irb-request/13988/3 "2004-10-18T22:32:05Z")
Peña, Botp wrote: > Hi All: > > Forgive me in advance for this stupid request: > > How can I make irb work > > from this: > ------------------ > irb(main):015:0\> 1 > =\> 1 > irb(main):016:0\> 2+2 > =\> 4 > irb(main):017:0\> > irb(main):018:0\> 5.times{p "hello ruby"} > "hello ruby" > =\> 5 > ------------------ > > to this: > ------------------ > 1 #=\> 1 > 2+2 #=\> 4 > > 5.times{p "hello ruby"} #"hello ruby" >         #"hello ruby" >         #=\> 5 > ------------------ > > iow, > > 1. I want to remove the prompt char > 2. I want output of irb not to be placed right below, but right next at a > certain column (so that output aligns) > 3. I want the output prefixed w # char (easy for cut & paste) > > thanks in advance > -botp Sorry for the late reply--here's something Nobu came up with on ruby-talk a while ago: In your .irbrc, put this line: IRB.conf[:PROMPT][:XMP][:RETURN] = "# =\> %s\n" Then run irb using the xmp mode as Brian suggested: $ irb --prompt-mode xmp 4 # =\> 4 Not exactly what you asked for, but it's still useful for copy-pasting from irb into ruby-talk posts! If you want to comment out stdout lines as well as irb's output lines, you might try modifying the STDOUT IO object to put a # at the beginning of each line. HTH.