Ruby and GUI programming (Easiest Setup)

[superjacent]

I'm relatively new to Ruby and I'm totally confused as to what the best/easiest setup is. What I want to do is write GUI programs and in particular convert a RealBasic program (that I wrote) that accesses and manipulates MySql databases. I'm a Windows Vista user.

Coming from RealBasic everything was contained in the one program so there wasn't any confusing decisions to make as regards GUI librabry, editor etc.

Could somebody list or itemise in simple terms what components are required in order to create a Ruby GUI program.

Thanks in advance.

[vgarcia]

Honestly you'd be better off with Visual Basic if you're on Windows and already have a RealBasic program put together.

If you're dead set on doing this in Ruby, look at the wxRuby GUI library.

[superjacent]

Honestly you'd be better off with Visual Basic if you're on Windows and already have a RealBasic program put together.

If you're dead set on doing this in Ruby, look at the wxRuby GUI library.

Visual Basic is not an option as it can't compile to Linux or Mac. That was the beauty of RealBasic. Realbasic does the job but now I find myself in a position where I'm locked into it. I've come across a little snag with my program, which is fixable in the next version but I'll have to renew my licence, an expensive exercise. I'm now considering my options.

Regarding wxRuby, which I've heard of, are you saying that should be the starting point of my initial question.

The reason I'm considering Ruby is that I'm also looking at the Rails option and to me it makes sense to also code in Ruby for GUI stuff. One will help the other.

Thanks for your advice.

[nightwatchman]

Visual Basic is not an option as it can't compile to Linux or Mac. That was the beauty of RealBasic. Realbasic does the job but now I find myself in a position where I'm locked into it. I've come across a little snag with my program, which is fixable in the next version but I'll have to renew my licence, an expensive exercise. I'm now considering my options.

Regarding wxRuby, which I've heard of, are you saying that should be the starting point of my initial question.

The reason I'm considering Ruby is that I'm also looking at the Rails option and to me it makes sense to also code in Ruby for GUI stuff. One will help the other.

Thanks for your advice.

Hi, I am a complete nOOb so I may be giving dodgy advice here but if you download the free book there is a reference to InstantRails in chapter 2, which is a one file package installer for Ruby on Rails for Windows

[superjacent]

Hi, I am a complete nOOb so I may be giving dodgy advice here but if you download the free book there is a reference to InstantRails in chapter 2, which is a one file package installer for Ruby on Rails for Windows

Yep, I a newbie as well. Ruby on Rails is one application or framework for web stuff, basically designing browser pages, but what I also want to do is program desktop applications, that is GUI stuff, that may or may not be related to the internet, so to speak. In my mind they are two different purposes. The beauty of that though is that Ruby is at the heart of both purposes so when switching from one to the other shouldn't be a problem.

If I've got the above wrong please let me know.

By the way, I've got that book, both in hardcopy and pdf.

Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

For my research to date, I've come across wxRuby and now I'm trying to figure out an editor that handles the graphical stuff. Is very confusing as it seems that Ruby is not well supported yet, it appears that Python is more supported.