IRB_LANG
The locale used for irb.
Interactive ruby shell
irb [--version] [-dfUw] [-I directory] [-r library] [-E external[:internal]] [-W[level]] [--[no]inspect] [--[no]multiline] [--[no]singleline] [--[no]echo] [--[no]colorize] [--[no]autocomplete] [--[no]verbose] [--prompt mode] [--prompt-mode mode] [--inf-ruby-mode] [--simple-prompt] [--noprompt] [--tracer] [--back-trace-limit n] [--] [program_file] [argument ...]
irb is the REPL(read-eval-print loop) environment for Ruby programs.
--version
Prints the version of irb.
-E external[:internal]
--encoding external[:internal]
Same as `ruby -E' . Specifies the default value(s) for external encodings and internal encoding. Values should be separated with colon (:).
You can omit the one for internal encodings, then the value (Encoding.default_internal) will be nil.
-I path
Same as `ruby -I' . Specifies $LOAD_PATH directory
-U
Same as `ruby -U' . Sets the default value for internal encodings (Encoding.default_internal) to UTF-8.
-d
Same as `ruby -d' . Sets $DEBUG to true.
-f
Suppresses read of ~/.irbrc.
-w
Same as `ruby -w' .
-W
Same as `ruby -W' .
-h
--help
Prints a summary of the options.
-r library
Same as `ruby -r'. Causes irb to load the library using require.
--inspect
Uses `inspect' for output (default except for bc mode)
--noinspect
Doesn't use inspect for output
--multiline
Uses multiline editor module.
--nomultiline
Doesn't use multiline editor module.
--singleline
Uses singleline editor module.
--nosingleline
Doesn't use singleline editor module.
--extra-doc-dir
Add an extra doc dir for the doc dialog.
--echo
Show result (default).
--noecho
Don't show result.
--echo-on-assignment
Show result on assignment.
--noecho-on-assignment
Don't show result on assignment.
--truncate-echo-on-assignment
Show truncated result on assignment (default).
--colorize
Use colorization.
--nocolorize
Don't use colorization.
--autocomplete
Use autocompletion.
--noautocomplete
Don't use autocompletion.
--regexp-completor
Use regexp based completion.
--type-completor
Use type based completion.
--verbose
Show details.
--noverbose
Don't show details.
--prompt mode
--prompt-mode mode
Switch prompt mode. Pre-defined prompt modes are `default', `simple', `xmp' and `inf-ruby'.
--inf-ruby-mode
Uses prompt appropriate for inf-ruby-mode on emacs. Suppresses --multiline and --singleline.
--simple-prompt
Makes prompts simple.
--noprompt
No prompt mode.
--tracer
Displays trace for each execution of commands.
--back-trace-limit n
Displays backtrace top n and tail n. The default value is 16.
IRB_LANG
The locale used for irb.
IRBRC
The path to the personal initialization file.
XDG_CONFIG_HOME
irb respects XDG_CONFIG_HOME. If it is set and IRBRC is unset, load $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/irb/irbrc as a personal initialization file.
RI_PAGER
The command specified would be used as a pager.
PAGER
The command specified would be used as a pager if RI_PAGER is unset.
VISUAL
Its value would be used to open files by the edit command.
EDITOR
Its value would be used to open files by the edit command if VISUAL is unset.
NO_COLOR
Assigning a value to it disables colorization.
IRB_USE_AUTOCOMPLETE
Assigning false to it disables autocompletion.
IRB_COMPLETOR
Autocompletion behavior. Allowed values are regexp or type
IRB_COPY_COMMAND
Overrides the default program used to interface with the system clipboard.
Also irb depends on same variables as ruby(1).
~/.irbrc
Personal irb initialization. If IRBRC is set, read $IRBRC instead. If IRBRC is not set and XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/irb/irbrc is loaded.
% irb
irb(main):001:0> 1 + 1
2
irb(main):002:0> def t(x)
irb(main):003:1> x + 1
irb(main):004:1> end
=> :t
irb(main):005:0> t(3)
=> 4
irb(main):006:0> if t(3) == 4
irb(main):007:1> p :ok
irb(main):008:1> end
:ok
=> :ok
irb(main):009:0> quit
%
13 releases since Debian 2.2 (Potato); the text changed 9 times.
--autocomplete since Debian 12 (Bookworm);
--back-trace-limit since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
--colorize since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
--echo since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
--echo-on-assignment since Debian 12 (Bookworm);
--encoding since Debian 8 (Jessie);
--extra-doc-dir since Debian 12 (Bookworm);
--help since Debian 8 (Jessie);
--inf-ruby-mode since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
--inspect since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
--multiline since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
--noautocomplete since Debian 12 (Bookworm);
--nocolorize since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
--noecho since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
--noecho-on-assignment since Debian 12 (Bookworm);
--noinspect since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
--nomultiline since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
--noprompt since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
--nosingleline since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
--noverbose since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
--prompt since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
--prompt-mode since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
--regexp-completor since Debian 13 (Trixie);
--simple-prompt since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
--singleline since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
--tracer since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
--truncate-echo-on-assignment since Debian 12 (Bookworm);
--type-completor since Debian 13 (Trixie);
--verbose since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
--version since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
-E since Debian 8 (Jessie);
-I since Debian 8 (Jessie);
-U since Debian 8 (Jessie);
-W since Debian 11 (Bullseye);
-d since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
-f since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
-h since Debian 8 (Jessie);
-r since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
-w since Debian 11 (Bullseye).
--irb_debug until Debian 10 (Buster);
--noreadline until Debian 10 (Buster);
--readline until Debian 10 (Buster);
-m until Debian 9 (Stretch);
-v until Debian 6.0 (Squeeze).