Well, the online documentation is virtually garbage to me, so let's not even go there. I am using a host that already has rails and mysql and all that stuff installed. Now all I want is to be able to start creating a ruby program using NOTEPAD and an FTP program (that's all I've ever needed in the past).
Can anyone maybe just tell me how I can go from what I have, to having one simple ruby program that will display "Hello World" when I visit my webpage from the world wide web?
Ruby is a large universe; Ruby on Rails (RoR) even more so. Trying to start programming Ruby by reading a couple of web pages is like trying to learn French from a tourist brochure.
But it's easy to get started, and Ruby is so nice and inviting it pulls you in. Start with a couple of good books on learning Ruby and Rails.
I'd recommend the Ruby on Rails for Dummies book, which deals explicitly with RoR on Windows machines. It shows you how to use RadRails, which is a FREE downloadable Integration Development Environment (IDE). In other words, you can do EVERYTHING within RadRails. It has a lot of built-in help that's useful once you develop a basic understanding of what's going on.
Other useful books: Mr. Neighborly's Humble Little Ruby Book to buy "Mr. Neighborly's Humble Little Ruby Book." You can download an earlier version for free. EXCELLENT place to get started with pure Ruby (no Rails).
Beginning Ruby From Novice to Professional from Apress (http:// apress.com/). You can get a downloadable PDF at half price, $20.
---Jim Gagne---
kopf1988 wrote:
Well, the online documentation is virtually garbage to me, so let's not even go there.
Don't worry about plenty of the people on this forum wrote that documentation. They don't mind you saying that!
I am using a host that already has rails and mysql and all that stuff installed. Now all I want is to be able to start creating a ruby program using NOTEPAD and an FTP program (that's all I've ever needed in the past).
Create an app on your own computer, with the command line
rails my_app
Go inside, and start generating models, controllers, and views.
_Then_ edit their contents with Notepad. Then run the site on your own computer until it has enough features to be worth uploading to a server.
Can anyone maybe just tell me how I can go from what I have, to having one simple ruby program that will display "Hello World" when I visit my webpage from the world wide web?
Read the book /Agile Web Development with Rails, 2nd Edition/, by the Virtual Garbage Programmers. It takes you thru all the low-level steps.
Do not ask this forum any question which that book answers.
And you don't want Notepad or FTP anymore. Yes it's fun to know how the nuts and bolts work, but they are not sustainable. You will need a real editor. I can't live without one that does a multi-file Search, because all Rails development consists of making a series of small tweaks to files in any of 7 different folders.
And you will need a program called Capistrano to, among other things, make a backup of each version of your site when you upload the next one. All of these techniques are leading-edge in the industry, they submit to Notepad and SCP (and SSH) when you need them, and they help you go faster.
kopf1988 wrote:
Can anyone maybe just tell me how I can go from what I have, to having one simple ruby program that will display "Hello World" when I visit my webpage from the world wide web?
I'd recommend doing a tutorial or two. The one at Radar – O’Reilly has helped some folks. If you're hosting service supports Rails, you should be able to follow their process to load the app you'll create using FTP (or whatever protocol they allow) to your site.
hth, Bill
Now all I want is to be able to start creating a ruby program using NOTEPAD and an FTP program (that's all I've ever needed in the past).
Sounds a *tad* like a programmer from the 60s asking "All I want is to be able to start creating a Ruby program using punch cards (that's all I've ever needed in the past." 
If you program without version control now, I'd *highly* recommending picking that up ASAP.
It will change your productivity far more than a change in language and framework will.
Can anyone maybe just tell me how I can go from what I have, to having one simple ruby program that will display "Hello World" when I visit my webpage from the world wide web?
How about this?
http://media.rubyonrails.org/video/rails_take2_with_sound.mov
It's an oldie, but a goodie!
Sorry about the garbage thing if it offended you... but I simply can't wade through the piles of documentation (and believe me, I'm used to having to wade through them... for some reason with Rails it just ain't working).
kopf1988 wrote:
Sorry about the garbage thing if it offended you... but I simply can't wade through the piles of documentation (and believe me, I'm used to having to wade through them... for some reason with Rails it just ain't working).
Doubtless you have encountered the average Rails blog...
Read the book /Agile Web Development with Rails, 2nd Edition/
Do not ask this forum any question which that book answers.
No prob. I couldn't imagine _writing_ the kind of documentation that gets anyone over the Rails learning curve. You must experience pain, briefly, before the real fun starts. Believe everyone here - it is well worth it!
Can anyone maybe just tell me how I can go from what I have, to having one simple ruby program that will display "Hello World" when I visit my webpage from the world wide web?
All of the previous recommendations are great. For an even simpler introduction to Ruby check out this interactive tutorial: http://tryruby.hobix.com/
If you're developing on windows, definitely use InstantRails: http://rubyforge.org/projects/instantrails/ for the shortest path to working locally.
-PhilipF
PhilipF wrote:
Can anyone maybe just tell me how I can go from what I have, to having one simple ruby program that will display "Hello World" when I visit my webpage from the world wide web?
All of the previous recommendations are great. For an even simpler introduction to Ruby check out this interactive tutorial: http://tryruby.hobix.com/
Dayam.
_why makes that look so easy, we wonder if he could lead one straight into Rails with it!
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