# Newbie question: command line to execute a method from .rb file **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [30 May 2012 16:26 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/newbie-question-command-line-to-execute-a-method-from-rb-file/65559 "2012-05-30T16:26:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![7stud2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/9de053/32.png) [@7stud2](https://rubytalk.org/u/7stud2)\ **Post date:** [30 May 2012 16:26 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/newbie-question-command-line-to-execute-a-method-from-rb-file/65559/1 "2012-05-30T16:26:18Z")
Hi there - So, I'm sorry for this very basic question which makes me feel like a real dummy... But honestly I couldn't find the answer from many internet tutorials, nor from the book I am reading, called "Ruby: the foundations...". So, pretty basic, I have a test.rb file which contains: def fonction1   puts "Here we are - func1" end def fonction2   puts "Here we are - func2" end def test(\*arg)   countArgs = 0;   arg.each {|param|     t[countArgs] = param     countArgs = countArgs+1   }   countArgs = countArgs+1   puts "You called me with #{count-args} argument(s) as parameters"   return t end Now, I'm still trying to figure out the COMMAND LINE to eventually execute my test() function of test.rb. I want to try on different cases, test(a,b,c), test("yoyo", "yaya"), ... I tried ruby test.rb test() , but of course, this isn't it. Let me know if I'm totally out of the concept here ?! > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Jesus\_Gabriel\_y\_Gala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@Jesus\_Gabriel\_y\_Gala](https://rubytalk.org/u/Jesus_Gabriel_y_Gala)\ **Post date:** [30 May 2012 16:43 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/newbie-question-command-line-to-execute-a-method-from-rb-file/65559/2 "2012-05-30T16:43:38Z")
In the program you wrote, you are just defining the functions, but you are not calling them You need a section at the end that actually calls the test method, you cannot do it from the outside (well, you can, but it's not probably what you mean). If you want to pass to the test method any arguments you write on the command line you can do this: test(\*ARGV) and call it like this: ruby test.rb 1 2 3 4 Little example: def test \*args   p args end test(\*ARGV) $ ruby test.rb 1 2 3 4 ["1", "2", "3", "4"] Hope this helps, Jesus. PS: if you don't really want to call the test method inside your script, you can do: ruby -I. -rtest -e "test(1,2,3,4)" but I'm guessing this is not what you really want. > **···** > > On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 6:26 PM, n/a n/a \ wrote: > > > Hi there - > > > > So, I'm sorry for this very basic question which makes me feel like a > > real dummy... But honestly I couldn't find the answer from many internet > > tutorials, nor from the book I am reading, called "Ruby: the > > foundations...". > > > > So, pretty basic, I have a test.rb file which contains: > > > > def fonction1 > > puts "Here we are - func1" > > end > > > > def fonction2 > > puts "Here we are - func2" > > end > > > > def test(\*arg) > > countArgs = 0; > > arg.each {|param| > > t[countArgs] = param > > countArgs = countArgs+1 > > } > > countArgs = countArgs+1 > > puts "You called me with #{count-args} argument(s) as parameters" > > > > return t > > end > > > > Now, I'm still trying to figure out the COMMAND LINE to eventually > > execute my test() function of test.rb. > > I want to try on different cases, test(a,b,c), test("yoyo", "yaya"), ... > > > > I tried ruby test.rb test() , but of course, this isn't it. > > > > Let me know if I'm totally out of the concept here ?! ---
**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:** [30 May 2012 16:47 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/newbie-question-command-line-to-execute-a-method-from-rb-file/65559/3 "2012-05-30T16:47:01Z")
> Hi there - > > So, I'm sorry for this very basic question which makes me feel like a > real dummy... But honestly I couldn't find the answer from many internet > tutorials, nor from the book I am reading, called "Ruby: the > foundations...". > > So, pretty basic, I have a test.rb file which contains: > > def fonction1 > puts "Here we are - func1" > end > > def fonction2 > puts "Here we are - func2" > end Not sure what those functions are used or intended for - I cannot see any invocation of them. > def test(\*arg) > countArgs = 0; > arg.each {|param| > t[countArgs] = param > countArgs = countArgs+1 > } > countArgs = countArgs+1 This increment is too much. But you do not need to count manually because you can get the count directly via args.size. > puts "You called me with #{count-args} argument(s) as parameters" > > return t > end > > Now, I'm still trying to figure out the COMMAND LINE to eventually > execute my test() function of test.rb. > I want to try on different cases, test(a,b,c), test("yoyo", "yaya"), ... Well, if you want to do that just include those calls in the script: test(a,b,c) test("yoyo", "yaya") > I tried ruby test.rb test() , but of course, this isn't it. If you want to find out the arguments to the program, then this is easiest: puts "You called me with #{ARGV.size} argument(s) as parameters" Then just invoke it with $ ruby your-script.rb arg1 arg2 If you want to use your method #test to evaluate program arguments you can do test(\*ARGV) But I am not 100% sure I understood what you're after. Kind regards robert > **···** > > On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 6:26 PM, n/a n/a \ wrote: > > -- > remember.guy do |as, often| as.you\_can - without end > [http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/](http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/) ---
**Author:** ![7stud2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/9de053/32.png) [@7stud2](https://rubytalk.org/u/7stud2)\ **Post date:** [30 May 2012 17:22 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/newbie-question-command-line-to-execute-a-method-from-rb-file/65559/4 "2012-05-30T17:22:04Z")
Ahhhh! Thank you guys. Now I see clearer. Jesus got it right indeed; I wanted to call the function from the outside - on the command line. What I didn't understand in Ruby is that the call of the functions were indeed to be written as part of the script ! OKAY.... Makes sense. TY very much. > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**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:** [30 May 2012 17:56 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/newbie-question-command-line-to-execute-a-method-from-rb-file/65559/5 "2012-05-30T17:56:37Z")
Well, you can also use the whole script as "function". Arguments are then in ARGV (see my previous posting). Kind regards robert > **···** > > On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 7:22 PM, n1 n0x \ wrote: > > > Ahhhh! > > > > Thank you guys. Now I see clearer. > > Jesus got it right indeed; I wanted to call the function from the > > outside - on the command line. > > > > What I didn't understand in Ruby is that the call of the functions were > > indeed to be written as part of the script ! > > > > OKAY.... Makes sense. > > -- > remember.guy do |as, often| as.you\_can - without end > [http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/](http://blog.rubybestpractices.com/)