I have a Ruby script that produces a Latex document using an erb template. After the .tex file has been generated, I'd like to make a system call to compile the document with pdflatex. Here are the bones of the script:
class Book
# initialize the class, query a database to get attributes, create the book, etc.
end
my_book = Book.new
tex_file = File.open("/path/to/raw/tex/template")
template = ERB.new(tex_file.read)
f = File.new("/path/to/tex/output.tex")
f.puts template.result
system "pdflatex /path/to/tex/output.tex"
The system line puts me in interactive tex input mode, as if the document were empty. If I remove the call, the document is generated as normal. How can I ensure that the system call isn't made until after the document is generated? In the meantime I'm just using a bash script that calls the ruby script and then pdflatex to get around the issue.
The File.new will open a new stream that won't be closed (saved to disk) until the script ends of until you manually close it.
This should work:
...
f = File.new("/path/to/tex/output.tex")
f.puts template.result
f.close
system "pdflatex /path/to/tex/output.tex"
Or a more friendly way:
...
File.open("/path/to/tex/output.tex", 'w') do |f|
f.puts template.result
end
system "pdflatex /path/to/tex/output.tex"
The File.open with a block will open the stream, make the stream accessible via the block variable (f in this example) and auto-close the stream after the block execution. The 'w' will open or create the file (if the file already exists the content will be erased => The file will be truncated)
Related
I'm trying to create a json file and write to it.
My code looks like this:
def save_as_json(object)
f = File.new('file.json')
f.puts(object.to_json, 'w')
f.close
end
save_as_json({'name'=>'fred'})
The problem is, I get the following error when I run it:
:15:in `initialize': No such file or directory # rb_sysopen - file.json (Errno::ENOENT)
I'm asking Ruby to create the file but it's complaining that it doesn't exist! What is the correct way to create and write to a file?
You just need to open the file using the 'w' mode like this:
f = File.new('file.json', 'w')
You want to determine the mode based on what you plan to do with the file, but here are your options:
"r" Read-only, starts at beginning of file (default mode).
"r+" Read-write, starts at beginning of file.
"w" Write-only, truncates existing file
to zero length or creates a new file for writing.
"w+" Read-write, truncates existing file to zero length
or creates a new file for reading and writing.
"a" Write-only, each write call appends data at end of file.
Creates a new file for writing if file does not exist.
"a+" Read-write, each write call appends data at end of file.
Creates a new file for reading and writing if file does
not exist.
IO Docs
File creation defaults to read mode, so trying to use a filespec that does not exist will result in an error:
2.3.0 :001 > f = File.new 'foo'
Errno::ENOENT: No such file or directory # rb_sysopen - foo
You need to specify 'w':
2.3.0 :002 > f = File.new 'foo', 'w'
=> #<File:foo>
That said, there are easier ways to write to files than to get a file handle using File.new or File.open. The simplest way in Ruby is to call File.write:
File.write('file.json', object.to_json)
You can use the longer File.open approach if you want; if you do, the simplest approach is to pass a block to File.open:
File.open('file.json', 'w') { |f| f << object.to_json }
This eliminates the need for you to explicitly close the file; File.open, when passed a block, closes the file for you after the block has finished executing.
I'm trying to open a tmpfile in the system $EDITOR, write to it, and then read in the output. I can get it to work, but I am wondering why calling file.read returns an empty string (when the file does have content)
Basically I'd like to know the correct way of reading the file once it has been written to.
require 'tempfile'
file = Tempfile.new("note")
system("$EDITOR #{file.path}")
file.rewind
puts file.read # this puts out an empty string "" .. why?
puts IO.read(file.path) # this puts out the contents of the file
Yes, I will be running this in an ensure block to nuke the file once used ;)
I was running this on ruby 2.2.2 and using vim.
Make sure you are calling open on the file object before attempting to read it in:
require 'tempfile'
file = Tempfile.new("note")
system("$EDITOR #{file.path}")
file.open
puts file.read
file.close
file.unlink
This will also let you avoid calling rewind on the file, since your process hasn't written any bytes to it at the time you open it.
I believe IO.read will always open the file for you, which is why it worked in that case. Whereas calling .read on an IO-like object does not always open the file for you.
My program reads a configuration file every 3 sec. within a while loop. Once I change the configuration file with an external editor like notepad, my program creates a temporary file for some reason and keeps reading from there.
I want my program to read from the current configuration file in order to have the most recent changes in my program.
What can I do about it?
Simplified code:
while(true)
file = File.open(filename, "r")
data = JSON.parse(file.read) if file
file.close
sleep(3)
end
If you are on linux, you can try linux inotfy service, this is the gem. This is an example of how to use it.
First of all you have to run
gem install ruby-inotify
and then try this code
notifier = Inotify.new
notifier.add_watch(filename, Inotify::CREATE | Inotify::MODIFY)
notifier.each_event do |ev|
file = File.open(filename, "r")
data = JSON.parse(file.read)
file.close
end
If you are open to using a gem for this, use the following.
https://github.com/thomasfl/filewatcher
Usage
FileWatcher.new(["lib/", "Rakefile"]).watch do |filename|
puts "Changed " + filename
end
I am trying to open a non existent file and write to it, however when I run the script, no file is being created.
Here is the line of code
File.open("valid_policies.txt", 'a+').write(policy_number.to_s + "\n")
Instead of using .write try this instead:
File.open("valid_policies.txt", 'a+') {|f| f.write(policy_number.to_s + "\n") }
You're using:
File.open("valid_policies.txt", 'a+').write(policy_number.to_s + "\n")
That's a non-block form of open which doesn't automatically close the file. That means the data is most likely not being written to the file but is sitting in the IO buffer waiting to be flushed/synced. You could add a close but that only propagates non-idiomatic code.
Instead you can use:
File.write("valid_policies.txt", policy_number.to_s + "\n")
File.write automatically creates then writes to the file then closes it. It will overwrite existing files though.
If you aren't sure whether the file exists and want to create it if it doesn't, or append to it, then you use File.open with the a mode instead of a+. From the mode documentation:
"a" Write-only, each write call appends data at end of file.
Creates a new file for writing if file does not exist.
Using a+ will work but it unnecessarily opens the file for reading also. Don't do that unless you're sure that's what you have to do.
If I needed to append I'd use:
File.open('valid_policies.txt', 'a') do |fa|
fa.puts policy_number
end
That's idiomatic Ruby. puts will automatically "stringify" policy_number if it has a to_s method, which it should have since you're already calling it, and it'll also automatically add the trailing "\n" if it doesn't exist at the end of the string. Also, using the block form of open will automatically close the file when the block exists, which is smart house-keeping.
I read a text file to get some info from it and later on I need to rename the directory that the file sits in. I am not able do to that because the file is locked. If I comment out the function that reads from the file or if I manually unlock the file (unlocker utility) everything goes fine.
I am on ruby 1.8.7 (2010-08-16 patchlevel 302) [i386-mingw32]
This line leaves the file open File.open(file).readlines.each{|line|
These two lines leave the file open
my_file=File.open(file,"r")
my_file.collect {|line|
unless I close the file at the end using my_file.close
The man for core 1.8.7 of IO.html#method-c-open states
If the optional code block is given, it will be passed io as an argument, and the IO object will automatically be closed when the block terminates.
So I don't understand why the file is still open.
What would be the one line code in 1.8.7 to read a text file and close it automatically?
The documentation is clear. However, you're passing the block to collect. And since you're not passing it to open, you are responsible for closing the file.
To have file auto-closed, try this:
File.open(file,"r") do |f|
f.collect # or whatever
end
Try passing the block directly to the "open" call:
File.open(file, 'r') do |f|
f.each_line do |line|
# Process each line
end
end
Or if you just want the file contents in a single shot then try this:
lines = File.read(file).split(/\r?\n/)
If you want the block to close the file automagically without passing the file handle to a block, you can use the IO#readlines method of your File object.
array_of_lines = File.readlines('/tmp/foo')
This will read the entire contents of the file, then close the file handle. It's a good option whenever a file is small enough to fit easily into memory.