From: Chris Pine <nemo@...>
Date: 2002-12-06T08:41:43+09:00
Subject: Buffered output on Windows

Quick question:

Why do I have to put

  $stdout.sync = true

in my programs if I run them in Windows (it's XP, if that matters), but not
in Linux?  Here's the program (it's for my tutorial):

  puts ('Hello, and what is your name?')
  name = gets.chomp
  puts (name+'?  What a lovely name!')
  puts ('Pleased to meet you, '+name+'.  :)')

In Linux, it works like you'd expect, but in Windows (unless I set
$stdout.sync = true), it doesn't print the first line until the end.  So the
program looks like it's hanging when it's waiting for the 'gets' to finish.

Is this on purpose?  I'd rather not have to introduce '$stdout.sync = true'
right now.  It seems like 'true' should be the default setting, anyway...
doesn't it?

Chris