How to Execute Windows Cli Commands in Ruby

How to execute Windows CLI commands in Ruby?

`"C:\Documents and Settings\test.exe"`

`exec "C:\Documents and Settings\test.exe"`

or whatever in qoutes

How can I run a command line command from within a ruby file?

cmd = "ls > somefile.txt"
system( cmd )

or even just simply

system( "ls" )

Thus, you can use system.

Execute basic windows commands

~~You should try with whoami instead of username:~~

require 'win32ole'
shell = WIN32OLE.new('Shell.Application')
my_username = shell.ShellExecute('cmd.exe', 'whoami', '', 'open', 0)
puts my_username

You can't use ShellExecute() because it doesn't let you access the output of the command your run which is what you want. See Using ShellExecuteEx and capturing standard in/out/err for more informations about that point.

I would simply use puts ENV['USERNAME'] which works like a charm. (Or any command given by Ilia Aptsiauri in his answer)

How to call shell commands from Ruby

This explanation is based on a commented Ruby script from a friend of mine. If you want to improve the script, feel free to update it at the link.

First, note that when Ruby calls out to a shell, it typically calls /bin/sh, not Bash. Some Bash syntax is not supported by /bin/sh on all systems.

Here are ways to execute a shell script:

cmd = "echo 'hi'" # Sample string that can be used

Kernel#` , commonly called backticks – `cmd`
This is like many other languages, including Bash, PHP, and Perl.
Returns the result (i.e. standard output) of the shell command.
Docs: http://ruby-doc.org/core/Kernel.html#method-i-60
```
value = `echo 'hi'`
value = `#{cmd}`
```
Built-in syntax, %x( cmd )
Following the x character is a delimiter, which can be any character.
If the delimiter is one of the characters (, [, {, or <,
the literal consists of the characters up to the matching closing delimiter,
taking account of nested delimiter pairs. For all other delimiters, the
literal comprises the characters up to the next occurrence of the
delimiter character. String interpolation #{ ... } is allowed.
Returns the result (i.e. standard output) of the shell command, just like the backticks.
Docs: https://docs.ruby-lang.org/en/master/syntax/literals_rdoc.html#label-Percent+Strings
```
value = %x( echo 'hi' )
value = %x[ #{cmd} ]
```
Kernel#system
Executes the given command in a subshell.
Returns true if the command was found and run successfully, false otherwise.
Docs: http://ruby-doc.org/core/Kernel.html#method-i-system
```
wasGood = system( "echo 'hi'" )
wasGood = system( cmd )
```
Kernel#exec
Replaces the current process by running the given external command.
Returns none, the current process is replaced and never continues.
Docs: http://ruby-doc.org/core/Kernel.html#method-i-exec
```
exec( "echo 'hi'" )
exec( cmd ) # Note: this will never be reached because of the line above
```

Here's some extra advice:
$?, which is the same as $CHILD_STATUS, accesses the status of the last system executed command if you use the backticks, system() or %x{}.
You can then access the exitstatus and pid properties:

$?.exitstatus

For more reading see:

http://www.elctech.com/blog/i-m-in-ur-commandline-executin-ma-commands
http://blog.jayfields.com/2006/06/ruby-kernel-system-exec-and-x.html
http://tech.natemurray.com/2007/03/ruby-shell-commands.html

Ruby - Calling commands and interact with shell in Windows environment

Seems this is working under Windows too

pipe = IO.popen('your.exe', 'w+', :err => [:child, :out])
@pipe.each_line do |line|
  if /pattern matching question/ =~ line
    break
  end
end
pipe.puts('Yes')
# another test can be here
pipe.close

Wise to use with https://ruby-doc.com/stdlib/libdoc/timeout/rdoc/Timeout.html

Run command in command prompt from Ruby application

Ruby has several ways to 'shell out', and there is an in-depth post here on SO about it:

Calling shell commands from Ruby

Running cmd scripts from a ruby file?

Ruby will execute anything you put in backticks ` in your associated shell.

so if you type

test = `ipconfig`
puts test

test should now have stored in it the data from the cmd call ipconfig

EDIT

You can also use the System(..) call in Ruby to execute commands

How does this Ruby command line work? Seemingly running a CMD script with Ruby

From man ruby:

-x[directory]

Tells Ruby that the script is embedded in a message. Leading garbage will be discarded until the first line that starts with #!
and contains the string, ruby
Any meaningful switches on that line
will be applied. The end of the script must be specified with either
EOF ^D ( control-D ^Z ( control-Z or the reserved word __END__ If the
directory name is specified, Ruby will switch to that directory before
executing script.

Which means the ridk.cmd has embedded ruby code.

The directory is optional, as indicated by both the square brackets around the name and the description. If provided, it should be directly after -x without any space, which effectively allows it to be an optional argument.

How to Execute Windows Cli Commands in Ruby