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: - test1.rb - 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//.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//.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 `

' ``` 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 fil…

Accepted Answer

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.

Ruby `require` call fails on custom code

Solution

Problem