Hello... see below.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Niklas Backlund <d99-nba / nada.kth.se>
To: ruby-talk ML <ruby-talk / netlab.co.jp>
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2000 3:29 PM
Subject: [ruby-talk:6476] %x{...} and ` not working?


> Hi,
> 
> I'm reading The Book, and I was trying out %x{dir} et al on
> page 75... but all I get is:
> 
>    test.rb:1: command not found: dir
> 
> I tried the backquote operator, other DOS commands... Nothing
> worked!
> 
> I also tried to use IO.popen -- Same deal!
> 
> I'm running
> 
>    ruby 1.6.2 (2000-11-04) [i386-cygwin]
> 
> under Win98... Any ideas?
> 
> 
> /Niklas
> 

I know what's happening, but I'm not sure how
to fix it.

Windows/DOS isn't UNIX, of course. The command
"dir" is not an executable, but a built-in to the shell.
I have a vague memory in the COMMAND.COM 
days of using a string like "command /c dir" from
within a C program. I think it's called CMD.EXE
nowadays; I tried something similar a day or two ago, 
but with no luck.

Let us know what you find out.

Thanks,
Hal