From: Brian Candler <B.Candler@...>
Date: 2003-05-13T03:02:09+09:00
Subject: Re: RCR for child execution

On Tue, May 13, 2003 at 12:23:17AM +0900, Simon Strandgaard wrote:
> Im trying to make it easier to embed ruby into existing C/C++
> applications. I think this issue is very important in order to get Ruby more
> widespread.

Well, as you probably know, my vote is strongly against. Ruby embeds very
well at the moment, thank you very much.

If you want a version of Ruby's "system" command which captures
stderr/stdout into a string, you can write your own easily. I suggested
the shorthand

    %X{command}

to run a command and capture both stdout and stderr into a string (the RCR
from which this thread gets its subject)

But trying to intercept all stdout/stderr of a portion of your program (i.e.
the Ruby part) in general requires you either to change stdout/stderr and
restore it afterwards, or to fork and change it to a pipe, because the
"Ruby" part may write directly to the underlying stdout/stderr, not to
$stdout or $defout.

I really cannot see where the problem lies. We could play this game all day:
you give me an example where you think it would be useful for Ruby to have
this magic, and I can show how you can do it without.

Brian.