Method: Kernel#`

Defined in:
io.c

#` ⇒ String

Returns the standard output of running cmd in a subshell. The built-in syntax %x{...} uses this method. Sets $? to the process status.

`date`                   #=> "Wed Apr  9 08:56:30 CDT 2003\n"
`ls testdir`.split[1]    #=> "main.rb"
`echo oops && exit 99`   #=> "oops\n"
$?.exitstatus            #=> 99

Returns:

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# File 'io.c', line 9252

static VALUE
rb_f_backquote(VALUE obj, VALUE str)
{
    VALUE port;
    VALUE result;
    rb_io_t *fptr;

    SafeStringValue(str);
    rb_last_status_clear();
    port = pipe_open_s(str, "r", FMODE_READABLE|DEFAULT_TEXTMODE, NULL);
    if (NIL_P(port)) return rb_str_new(0,0);

    GetOpenFile(port, fptr);
    result = read_all(fptr, remain_size(fptr), Qnil);
    rb_io_close(port);
    RFILE(port)->fptr = NULL;
    rb_io_fptr_finalize(fptr);
    rb_gc_force_recycle(port); /* also guards from premature GC */

    return result;
}