---
title: ".rb file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .rb file is a Ruby Source. Source code in Ruby, the language behind Rails and Homebrew. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/rb/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .rb files

**.rb file: Ruby Source**

Source code in Ruby, the language behind Rails and Homebrew.

## What opens a .rb file

- **Windows:** Visual Studio Code, RubyMine, Notepad (built in)
- **macOS:** Visual Studio Code, RubyMine, TextEdit (built in)
- **Linux:** Visual Studio Code, RubyMine, Text Editor (built in)

## What a .rb file is

Ruby was created by Yukihiro Matsumoto in the mid-1990s and became widely known through the Rails web framework. A .rb file is plain text run by the ruby interpreter, which ships with macOS and most Linux distributions and installs separately on Windows. Homebrew formulae and many Jekyll sites are Ruby files.

## Converting it

A .rb file is commonly converted to .txt. It is a plain text format, so any text editor can open and edit it directly.

## Details

- **Extension:** .rb
- **Full name:** Ruby Source
- **Category:** Code and scripts
- **Created by:** Yukihiro Matsumoto
- **Format:** Plain text

## Common questions

### How do I open a .rb file?

On Windows use Visual Studio Code; on macOS use Visual Studio Code; on Linux use Visual Studio Code. Source code in Ruby, the language behind Rails and Homebrew.

### What is a .rb file?

Ruby Source. Ruby was created by Yukihiro Matsumoto in the mid-1990s and became widely known through the Rails web framework. A .rb file is plain text run by the ruby interpreter, which ships with macOS and most Linux distributions and installs separately on Windows.

### Can I convert a .rb file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .txt, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.html — HyperText Markup Language](https://atoneplace.net/file/html/)
- [.js — JavaScript Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/js/)
- [.css — Cascading Style Sheet](https://atoneplace.net/file/css/)
- [.py — Python Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/py/)
- [.java — Java Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/java/)
- [.tsx — TypeScript Source (JSX)](https://atoneplace.net/file/tsx/)
- [.cpp — C++ Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/cpp/)
- [.php — PHP Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/php/)
- [.c — C Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/c/)
- [.cs — C# Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/cs/)
- [.go — Go Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/go/)
- [.rs — Rust Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/rs/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)