Rae wrote:
> I have a website created with FrontPage. So I really didn't need to
> learn programming, just how to use that software. I 've alway wanted to
> learn how to create a website. Is Ruby the way to go for a beginner?
>   
Learning to program in Ruby is probably one of the better choices you 
can make. Although all computer languages have their various strengths 
and weaknesses, most people (including myself) believe that Ruby helps 
the programmer focus on the task at hand and less on the idiosyncrasies 
of the language.
> I downloaded the program and have tinkered with it a bit. I understand
> variables and stuff because I can do a little VB6 programming.
> But once you get a web page done with Ruby, how do you publish it
> online? I have to ask this very elementary question because as you
> know, FrontPage has its own publishing feature.
>   
How you approach a website using Ruby depends on your goals and 
capabilities. In the most basic sense, Ruby is like any other program in 
which you use secure (preferably) FTP connections to connect to your 
site and transfer files back and forth. What those files look like 
though depend on how you use Ruby. In the ASP sense, you can embed Ruby 
in your web pages (i.e. .rhtml) and serve them accordingly. You can also 
use Ruby as CGI scripts where you call an executable in the CGI 
directory (or elsewhere depending on the configuration) which then 
returns output to the browser. Most people using Ruby for web sites are 
probably using a framework like Rails because of the productivity boost 
that results when you learn the standard convention of Rails and follow 
it. Like a swiss army knife, Ruby can be used in a variety of situations 
very successfully.

There have been many threads on which IDE to use to program in and many 
will have FTP capabilities built in. I use Komodo and Eclipse since each 
have some features that the other doesn't. Your mileage will vary 
though. No doubt your needs and preferences will change as you become 
more advanced.

HTH,
Jim