From: Jan Svitok <jan.svitok@...>
Date: 2006-09-08T01:14:46+09:00
Subject: Re: what can you automate with Ruby?

On 9/7/06, Chris Finch <christopher.finch@nuth.nhs.uk> wrote:
> Hi all,
> I'm a newbie - please have patience.
>
> I am not sure if anyone uses Ruby as an automation tool - I think it
> would be a cool thing to do.
>
> I have heard of the WIN32OLE extension - it sounds cool - does anyone
> use this and why?
>
> I was wondering if this automation only applies to these Windows
> applications or is there any more you can control with a Ruby program?
>
> I use the graphing application Origin - could I use Ruby to automate,
> i.e. put data in and plot graphs.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Chris

It depends on what you want to automate. Ruby can do (almost) anything
any other language can - on windows that means COM, commandlines,
WIN32API, registers, etc.
You can even automate GUIs via AutoIt .dll/COM interface, although in
most cases pure AutoIt is easier.

There is watir package to control/automate the browser if I've
understood it correctly.

On unix, the possibilities are similar, so the main question is, what
means/protocol/whatever you need to use to automate your target?