Rails - Aug 2005 - Running process on server

Sorry if this question is ignorant...just starting out on rails ye see.

Is is possible for rails to run a separate application on the server? 
After gathering some info from a user, I''d like to compile a Flash .swf
on the server using MTASC and bake the new information into the .swf 
(I''d rather do this than keep the dynamic info separate on the server 
and access it via Flash''s Web Services/LoadVars/etc.). 

Then, when the compile is finished, rails would provide a download link 
to the user. I dunno. Is this madness?

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions,

Daniel
Oakland, CA

Daniel McQuillen wrote:
> Sorry if this question is ignorant...just starting out on rails ye see.
> 
> Is is possible for rails to run a separate application on the server? 
> After gathering some info from a user, I''d like to compile a Flash
.swf
> on the server using MTASC and bake the new information into the .swf 
> (I''d rather do this than keep the dynamic info separate on the
server
> and access it via Flash''s Web Services/LoadVars/etc.).
> Then, when the compile is finished, rails would provide a download link 
> to the user. I dunno. Is this madness?
> 
You can do this with Kernel#system()
Example:
system("/usr/bin/some_flash_thingy -s whee -o something")

You would then need to find a way to get the SWF file to the user, 
either with routing, by opening the file by path and sending it to them 
as data, etc.