OpenAnyFile
Works
Viewing, inspecting and verifying. You get the source with language-aware colouring and line numbers. File details, exact byte size and the detected signature are always shown.
How to open a .rb file
A RB file is a Ruby Source, introduced by Yukihiro Matsumoto in 1995. Below: what is actually inside one, and how to open it without installing special software.
What is a .rb file?
Ruby Source is a code format developed by Yukihiro Matsumoto, first appearing in 1995. It is normally produced by Rails applications.
Designed explicitly for programmer happiness. Everything is an object, including integers and nil.
| Full name | Ruby Source |
|---|---|
| File category | Code |
| MIME type | text/x-ruby |
| Developer | Yukihiro Matsumoto |
| Introduced | 1995 |
| Usually created by | Rails applications |
| OpenAnyFile engine | syntax highlighter |
| Opens without upload | Yes — parsed locally in your browser |
Open a .rb file in your browser
OpenAnyFile routes .rb to its syntax highlighter, which highlights the source with language-aware colouring and line numbers.
- Open the OpenAnyFile opener in this browser — nothing to download or sign up for.
- Drag your .rb file onto the drop zone, click to browse for it, or paste it with Ctrl+V.
- The extension is detected and the file is handed to the syntax highlighter.
- Your RB opens on its own viewer page: the source with language-aware colouring and line numbers.
- Use fullscreen for a closer look, or download the file back out unchanged. Works the same on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, because it is just a web page.
What you can and cannot do with it here
Does not work
Editing and re-saving. OpenAnyFile is a reader, not an editor — for changes you still need special software or an equivalent.
No upload, and here is why that matters for {E}
Handing a .rb file to a random conversion site means handing over a copy you cannot get back. OpenAnyFile parses the file locally instead — the same way special software reads it off your disk, except the reader happens to be a web page. Nothing is transmitted, so there is nothing to leak, log or subpoena. It also means it keeps working with your Wi-Fi switched off.
Frequently asked questions about RB files
Can I open a .rb file without installing special software?
Yes. OpenAnyFile's syntax highlighter runs in your browser, so you can read a RB file with nothing installed. You get the source with language-aware colouring and line numbers. For full editing you still need the original application — this is a viewer, not an editor.
How can I tell what a .rb file actually contains?
The .rb extension carries no fixed signature, so the extension alone proves nothing. Opening it in OpenAnyFile shows the raw header bytes and detected type, which is the only reliable way to identify one.
Is it safe to open a RB file online?
With OpenAnyFile, yes, because nothing is uploaded. The file is read locally through your browser's File API and never leaves your device, so there is no server copy to leak, log or retain. That matters most for the kind of file people are least willing to hand to a random converter site.
What is a .rb file, exactly?
Ruby Source — a text/x-ruby format created by Yukihiro Matsumoto since 1995. Designed explicitly for programmer happiness. Everything is an object, including integers and nil.
Does the same viewer handle formats related to RB?
Yes — the same engine also opens .html, .xml, .sql, so you can compare related files without switching tools.
Related formats
These open with the same engine, so if you have one of these sitting next to your .rb file, it will open too: