irb
interactive Ruby shell
TLDR
Start interactive Ruby
$ irb
Start without prompt$ irb --noprompt
Load file before starting$ irb -r [library]
Evaluate expression$ irb -e "[puts 'hello']"
Start with specific Ruby$ irb --version
Simple prompt$ irb --simple-prompt
SYNOPSIS
irb [options] [file]
DESCRIPTION
irb is the Interactive Ruby shell. It provides a REPL for evaluating Ruby expressions and exploring code.
The shell supports tab completion, history, and multi-line input. It's the standard tool for Ruby experimentation.
PARAMETERS
-r LIBRARY
Require library before starting.-e EXPR
Evaluate expression.--noprompt
Suppress prompt.--simple-prompt
Use simple prompt.--inf-ruby-mode
Emacs inf-ruby compatibility.-I PATH
Add to load path.--help
Display help information.
CAVEATS
Requires Ruby installed. No persistent state. Consider pry for advanced features.
HISTORY
irb has been part of Ruby since early versions, created by Keiju Ishitsuka as the standard Ruby REPL.