Ruby `require` call fails on custom code

Question

I have found that I have no problem using require to load something like the Sinatra web framework, but I can't seem to use require to load my own custom code?

For example I have two files:

1. test1.rb
2. test2.rb

The content of 'test1.rb' is:

#!/usr/bin/env ruby
require 'test2'

The content of 'test2.rb' is:

class String
    def vowels
        self.scan(/[aeiou]/i)
    end
end

And if I try and run ruby test1.rb then I get the following error...

/Users/<username>/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p125/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require': cannot load such file -- test2 (LoadError)
    from /Users/<username>/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p125/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'
    from test1.rb:3:in `<main>'

I then noticed if I tried to use the shotgun gem to load the web server then I get a different but more detailed stack trace of the error...

Boot Error
Something went wrong while loading test1.rb
LoadError: cannot load such file -- test2

/Users/<username>/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p125/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p125/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'
/Users/<username>/Dropbox/Library/Ruby/Passage/test1.rb:3:in `<top (required)>'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p125/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p125/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.9.1/rubygems/custom_require.rb:36:in `require'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/loader.rb:114:in `inner_app'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/loader.rb:102:in `assemble_app'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/loader.rb:86:in `proceed_as_child'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/loader.rb:31:in `call!'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/loader.rb:18:in `call'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/favicon.rb:12:in `call'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/static.rb:14:in `call'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/rack-1.4.1/lib/rack/builder.rb:134:in `call'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/thin-1.3.1/lib/thin/connection.rb:80:in `block in pre_process'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/thin-1.3.1/lib/thin/connection.rb:78:in `catch'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/thin-1.3.1/lib/thin/connection.rb:78:in `pre_process'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/thin-1.3.1/lib/thin/connection.rb:53:in `process'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/thin-1.3.1/lib/thin/connection.rb:38:in `receive_data'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/eventmachine-0.12.10/lib/eventmachine.rb:256:in `run_machine'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/eventmachine-0.12.10/lib/eventmachine.rb:256:in `run'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/thin-1.3.1/lib/thin/backends/base.rb:61:in `start'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/thin-1.3.1/lib/thin/server.rb:159:in `start'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/rack-1.4.1/lib/rack/handler/thin.rb:13:in `run'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/gems/shotgun-0.9/bin/shotgun:156:in `<top (required)>'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/bin/shotgun:19:in `load'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/bin/shotgun:19:in `<main>'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/bin/ruby_noexec_wrapper:14:in `eval'
/Users/<username>/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p125/bin/ruby_noexec_wrapper:14:in `<main>'

I'm not sure what the problem is?

Any help appreciated please.

Thanks.

Answer 1

The current directory (relative to the main ruby file) is not part of the load paths (the set of paths that require looks in). So you either need to add it to the load path (best done by invoking ruby as ruby -I. test1.rb), by using require "./test2.rb" or by using require_relative "test2.rb", which requires files relative to the directory of the file.