From: Tim Hunter <TimHunter@...>
Date: 2007-09-23T08:07:28+09:00
Subject: Re: Getting started with Ruby (noob confusion)

Nunya Business wrote:
> Hi everyone!
> 
> As the title suggests, I'm new to Ruby (and programming in general), and
> am feeling a bit
> overwhelmed by the complexities. (However, I must say that Ruby is one
> of the few languages
> I'd dare to describe as "easy to swallow".) At the moment, I'm not sure
> what to do first. I've
> downloaded the latest stable build, and am really anxious to make
> something happen. My
> momentary interest lies primarily in developing simple Windows GUI apps,
> and I've found that
> I'll require some external tools for said tasks. My last attempt at
> coding was with the VB
> Express kit (which I eventually removed, due to it's bloated feel), so
> Ruby's requirement of
> external software was a surprise (hey, like I said, I'm new to this, so
> don't come down on me
> *too* hard).
> 
> Anyhow, after realizing this, I went on a treasure hunt of sorts, for a
> GUI toolkit. I've
> selected foxGUIb for the job. According to the site, it requires FXRuby,
> so I guess my first
> question is, is FXRuby included in the current stable Ruby distro, or do
> I need to download
> it? I did a search, and found several "fxruby" type files on my comp
> with the "gem" extension.
> (BTW... what the heck are "gems? LOL) I have a bunch of other questions
> as well (unrelated to
> FXRuby), but I'll get into those later. Right now, I just need an
> itemized list of EVERYTHING
> I'll need to get going.
> 
> A few of the projects I have in mind:
> 
> A snazzy, skinable web browser with ftp capabilities built-in (among
> other things)
> An instant messenger
> Newsreader
> Mail client
> 
> As you can see, just very basic stuff.
> 
> My complaint with most coding tutorials out there, is their focus on
> elaborate methods that
> most regular people will never require. I don't need to build a
> chemist's widget for solving
> complex mathematical equations... just nifty little web apps with some
> cool features.
> 
> If anybody can help me through my journey of Ruby discovery, it would be
> much appreciated. : )
> 
> PS Something I've been wondering for a while; need I be proficient in
> math to develop the type
> of apps I have in mind? I'm just horrible with numbers. I feel like this
> particular weakness
> may hamper my dreams of programming.

First, welcome to Ruby!

Hmmm...well, I would say that the applications you've listed are far 
from simple. In fact, they're quite ambitious for somebody who is new to 
programming. (Not to mention, sorta redundant. Why bother to write 
applications for which there are already many very good - as well as 
free - examples to choose from?)

If I were in your shoes, I'd postpone the whole GUI app goal for a bit 
and concentrate on simple applications that run on the command line and 
simply print text.

Check out Peter Cooper's _Beginning_Ruby_ 
[http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Ruby-Novice-Professional/dp/1590597664]. 
He has some very entertaining examples that you can work through while 
learning programming and Ruby.

Regarding RubyGems: http://docs.rubygems.org/

Good luck!

-- 
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