How to get a .exe packaged Ruby Shoes app to reference resources outside the package? - ruby

Question

I'm trying to make a standalone .exe packaged Ruby Shoes app that uses images dynamically, meaning whichever images is found in the folder of the .exe file.
Shoes.app() {
background "bg.jpg"
}
This code works if the image is in the same folder when the .exe is packaged, and the image seems to be packaged into the .exe since it's not needed in the same folder as the .exe for it to display when running the exe. But when you want it to load the file in the same folder as the .exe, packaging the app without the image, it does not show. I've tried different ways at finding absolute path to the current directory where the .exe is launched from, but they all seem to point to some temporary directory under AppData and not where the .exe file is located.

Answer 1

Edit: my first answer was incomplete. Windows is a little odd in Shoes for packaged apps. Write a little test script.
Shoes.app do
stack do
para "DIR: #{DIR}"
para "LIB_DIR: #{LIB_DIR}"
cdir = Dir.getwd
para "CWD: #{cdir}"
end
end
Dir.getwd is probably what you want.

Answer 2

Calling pwd should get you what you want
Nope, Ok sorry get it now !:-)
Shoes is opening your exe/shy into AppData/temp so working directory and __FILE__ both point there !
Someone, some time ago proposed this : Trying to access the "current dir" in a packaged Shoes app
must be a better way !
EDIT:
you probably want custom packager (check "i want advanced install options")
check "Expand shy in users directory"
Do as you done for regular packaging.
Now when launching the exe, it will ask you( or the user) to choose where to install your app, proceed, note the directory.
Now before launching the installed app feed the noted directory with your resources and you should be ok
Some references : https://github.com/Shoes3/shoes3/wiki/Custom-Install-Scripts
(there's a lot more to it)
https://github.com/Shoes3/shoes3/issues/247#issuecomment-213919829