print messages show up after script has quit

[stan]

Hello,

I use ruby 1.8.6 on windows xp sp2. My script updates podcast
subsrciptions at night.This saves internet traffic during the day. It
starts iTunes application, sleeps while itunes updates feeds and then
quits.

Here's listing

require 'win32ole'


#starts itunes application and updates podcasts
ready = Time.local(2007, "Apr", 25, 15, 05, 1)
done = false
while !done do

now = Time.now

if now > ready then
itunes = WIN32OLE.new('iTunes.Application')
if itunes then
print "Update started\n"
itunes.UpdatePodcastFeeds
sleep 30 # waits 30 secs

itunes.Quit
print "shutdown...\n"
done=true
end
else
print "Not so fast boy..." + now.to_s() + "\n"
sleep(30) # waits for 30 secs
end
end



While testing I noted that any debug output I print shows up in a
window after the applicaiton has quit. I don't know why it is
happening, because obviously I want script to print messages to see
its activity. Any help appreciated.

Thanks

 

[elof]

Hello,

I use ruby 1.8.6 on windows xp sp2. My script updates podcast
subsrciptions at night.This saves internet traffic during the day. It
starts iTunes application, sleeps while itunes updates feeds and then
quits.

This is happening because stdout is buffered.

Text written to stdout will appear once the buffer is full, when the
program ends or if you ask for the buffer to be flushed by calling
$stdout.flush like this:

else
print "Not so fast boy..." + now.to_s() + "\n" $stdout.flush # flush stdout
sleep(30) # waits for 30 secs
end

Kristian

 

[Björn Paetzel]

This is happening because stdout is buffered.

Text written to stdout will appear once the buffer is full, when the
program ends or if you ask for the buffer to be flushed by calling
$stdout.flush like this:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought flushing would be implicit
whenever a newline ('\n') is printed.