# Writing a Mad Libs program? **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [3 October 2009 14:39 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/writing-a-mad-libs-program/55648 "2009-10-03T14:39:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Britt\_Hayes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@Britt\_Hayes](https://rubytalk.org/u/Britt_Hayes)\ **Post date:** [3 October 2009 14:39 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/writing-a-mad-libs-program/55648/1 "2009-10-03T14:39:06Z")
How would I go about writing a 'Mad Libs' type program using Ruby? Any examples would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![JEG2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@JEG2](https://rubytalk.org/u/JEG2)\ **Post date:** [3 October 2009 14:44 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/writing-a-mad-libs-program/55648/2 "2009-10-03T14:44:24Z")
Have a look at the solutions to this old Ruby Quiz:    [Ruby Quiz - Madlibs (#28)](http://www.rubyquiz.com/quiz28.html) James Edward Gray II > **···** > > On Oct 3, 2009, at 9:39 AM, Britt Hayes wrote: > > > How would I go about writing a 'Mad Libs' type program using Ruby? > > > > Any examples would be greatly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kriple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@John\_Kriple](https://rubytalk.org/u/John_Kriple)\ **Post date:** [3 October 2009 19:19 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/writing-a-mad-libs-program/55648/3 "2009-10-03T19:19:01Z")
I had looked at those before, but I couldn't follow very well as I am very new to Ruby. Would you be able to get me started using one of those examples? How does the mad lib script I wrote work with the commands? > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![JEG2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@JEG2](https://rubytalk.org/u/JEG2)\ **Post date:** [3 October 2009 19:33 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/writing-a-mad-libs-program/55648/4 "2009-10-03T19:33:23Z")
Here's an example of me using the code from the first solution to play with the example in the quiz: $ ruby madlib.rb madlib.txt Give me a gemstone: Ruby Give me a gemstone: Emerald madlib Our favorite language is Ruby. We think Ruby is better than Emerald. $ cat madlib.rb def ask\_for(str)      puts "Give me #{str}:"      $stdin.gets.chomp end keys={} puts "", ARGV[0].split(".")[0].gsub("\_", " "), IO.read(ARGV[0]).gsub(/\(\(([^)]+)\)\)/) {      if (t=$1) =~ /\A([^:]+):(.+)\z/         keys[$1]=ask\_for($2)      else         keys[t] || ask\_for(t)      end } $ cat madlib.txt Our favorite language is ((gem:a gemstone)). We think ((gem)) is better than ((a gemstone)). Hope that helps. James Edward Gray II > **···** > > On Oct 3, 2009, at 2:19 PM, John Kriple wrote: > > > I had looked at those before, but I couldn't follow very well as I am > > very new to Ruby. > > > > Would you be able to get me started using one of those examples? > > > > How does the mad lib script I wrote work with the commands? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kriple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@John\_Kriple](https://rubytalk.org/u/John_Kriple)\ **Post date:** [3 October 2009 20:47 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/writing-a-mad-libs-program/55648/5 "2009-10-03T20:47:13Z")
> $ ruby madlib.rb madlib.txt I am using nano for a script shell. Does that have an effect on this? > Give me a gemstone: > Ruby > Give me a gemstone: > Emerald Where does this get written? > madlib > Our favorite language is Ruby. We think Ruby is better > than Emerald. So, I guess my biggest question is where does the script get written before you start writing the program to fill in the gaps? > **···** > > > $ cat madlib.rb > > def ask\_for(str) > >      puts "Give me #{str}:" > >      $stdin.gets.chomp > > end > > > > keys={} > > > > puts "", ARGV[0].split(".")[0].gsub("\_", " "), > > IO.read(ARGV[0]).gsub(/\(\(([^)]+)\)\)/) { > >      if (t=$1) =~ /\A([^:]+):(.+)\z/ > >         keys[$1]=ask\_for($2) > >      else > >         keys[t] || ask\_for(t) > >      end > > } > > $ cat madlib.txt > > Our favorite language is ((gem:a gemstone)). We think ((gem)) is better > > than ((a gemstone)). > > > > Hope that helps. > > > > James Edward Gray II > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/\](http://www.ruby-forum.com/%5C). ---
**Author:** ![JEG2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@JEG2](https://rubytalk.org/u/JEG2)\ **Post date:** [3 October 2009 21:55 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/writing-a-mad-libs-program/55648/6 "2009-10-03T21:55:38Z")
> > $ ruby madlib.rb madlib.txt > > I am using nano for a script shell. Does that have an effect on this? I believe you mean that you are using nano for your text editor, not shell. Most likely your shell is bash, if you are on a Unix and haven't tried to change it. The commands I showed, lines starting with $, will work fine in bash. > > Give me a gemstone: > > Ruby > > Give me a gemstone: > > Emerald > > Where does this get written? This we me interacting with the program as it ran. It asked those questions and I typed those answers. > > madlib > > Our favorite language is Ruby. We think Ruby is better > > than Emerald. > > So, I guess my biggest question is where does the script get written > before you start writing the program to fill in the gaps? Using nano, I can create the file like this: 1. I type: nano.rb 2. I paste in the code from the web site or my last message 3. I push control-o and then press return to write the file Does that help? James Edward Gray II > **···** > > On Oct 3, 2009, at 3:47 PM, John Kriple wrote: