From: Hilary Bailey Date: 2011-01-23T23:07:57+09:00 Subject: Re: Totally lost in learning Ruby David Masover wrote in post #976879: > On Saturday, January 22, 2011 10:44:56 pm Hilary Bailey wrote: >> I was under the impression that after having some programing >> language skilss and with some training I would be able to put together a >> # of applications and build a program computer program. I thought that >> just like how individuals could use some of Apple's apps, put them >> together then build a game, I believed that eventually this could be >> done with Ruby and its supportive/compatible applications. > > I'm not sure quite what you mean here. > > If you mean create a brand-new app from scratch using something like > Apple's > Xcode tools, and then having a standalone app (without forcing people to > install Ruby), there are options for that. I haven't ever had to do > this, but > the project that looks the coolest for this purpose is Rawr > (http://rawr.rubyforge.org/). > > If you mean take several existing apps and mash them together into a new > app, > that really depends which apps you're talking about. It could be a five > minute > job of writing the appropriate glue code, essentially snapping stuff > together > like legos, or it could be a truly impossible task, like trying to > attach an > aircraft carrier to a 747 and make a useful vehicle out of it when you > don't > have access to the blueprints of either. > > For what you described: > > "I am a school teacher trying to create an education database software > for > administrators and teachers which will hold educational institutions > accountable for the performance of their school district." > > I'm guessing you mean the former -- you're wanting to build something > from > scratch, and you were just wanting to know how to actually get an app > out of > it, right? > > I'd also imagine that this sort of thing would make more sense as a web > app. > The advantages of that approach would be that you don't have to create > an > installer and make sure it installs and runs properly on every single > person's > computer, you just need to make sure they have a decent web browser. > Basically, you'd get to install whatever OS and software you want on > whatever > server(s) it runs on, and to everyone else, it's just a website. > > The main disadvantage is that it would be a _lot_ more of a learning > curve -- > you'd want to know at least HTML and CSS, if not also HTTP (easy) and > JavaScript, in addition to Ruby. > >> Now facing this reality, would it help if I used Linux instead of >> Windows 7? > > Maybe. > > Ruby definitely seems designed to run on a Unix of some sort, so if you > want > to make the Ruby part easy on yourself, some sort of Linux would help. > So > would BSD, OS X, even Solaris. > > But learning an entirely new OS at the same time as you learn to program > sounds like a daunting task. Hi David, Thanks a $llion for responding. Based on your response, where do I start? Is there a specific HTML guide?. What is CSS and which one or version should I use? And I guess the same applies to HTTP and JavaScript. To a novice like me,I am still trying to piece together an approach to learning how to program using and becoming a part of the Open Source community. The difficulty is that the kind individuals like yourself, who have answered my call for help have been tossing at me so many programs that end-up adding to the problem. Therefore I am going to take all the suggestions, place them in a learning sequential pattern and ask you again for your advice. At this moment the web option seems to be the closest answer to what I have been searching for. Getting there is the problem. I am willing to spends the grueling time learning it. -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.