# We are in the starting gate
**URL:** https://rubytalk.org/t/we-are-in-the-starting-gate/5034
**Category:** ruby-talk
**Created:** [6 March 2003 23:14 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/we-are-in-the-starting-gate/5034 "2003-03-06T23:14:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@No11](https://rubytalk.org/u/No11)
#### Post date: [6 March 2003 23:14 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/we-are-in-the-starting-gate/5034/1 "2003-03-06T23:14:23Z")
Hello:
I have a few (very quick) getting started questions about Ruby.
I’ve been doing a lot of web design (asp, javascript, etc…) for the
last few years and now I’ve reached a point where there is life after
the Internet. I’m finding that I’m needing to create some faily
simple custom programs for use as stand alone applications under
windows. Ie. stuff that does NOT run in a browser. So here we go:
#1 Is Ruby a good choice for a general porpose langarge that can build
stand alone apps under Windows?
#2 I may be off the web but I still gotta have my data, does Ruby
support ODBC or some other way to connect to SQL server or an access
database?
#3 What are your top two “most helpful” web sites for working with
Ruby.
Thanks for any Input.
Steve.
---
### Author:  [@gabriele\_renzi4](https://rubytalk.org/u/gabriele_renzi4)
#### Post date: [7 March 2003 00:14 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/we-are-in-the-starting-gate/5034/2 "2003-03-07T00:14:30Z")
> Hello:
hi!
> #1 Is Ruby a good choice for a general porpose langarge that can build
> stand alone apps under Windows?
I think so, you could use winapi, ole, and lots of other stuff.
> #2 I may be off the web but I still gotta have my data, does Ruby
> support ODBC or some other way to connect to SQL server or an access
> database?
ruby-DBI is a common interface to many database:
ADO, ODBC , DB2 , InterBase , MySQL , Oracle , PostgreSQL , etc
> What are your top two “most helpful” web sites for working with
> Ruby.
I think [http://www.rubygarden.org/](http://www.rubygarden.org/) is the most useful, with
[raa.ruby-lang.org](http://raa.ruby-lang.org).
And this newsgroup/mailing list could solve all the problems you could
have.
The ruby community is _wonderful_
> Thanks for any Input.
> Steve.
np
> **···**
>
> il Thu, 06 Mar 2003 17:56:50 -0500, [no@spam4me.com](mailto:no@spam4me.com) ha scritto::
---
### Author:  [@No11](https://rubytalk.org/u/No11)
#### Post date: [7 March 2003 14:35 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/we-are-in-the-starting-gate/5034/3 "2003-03-07T14:35:44Z")
Hello:
OK, that’s enough to get me off and running. Thanks again.
Steve.
> **···**
>
> On Fri, 07 Mar 2003 00:04:18 GMT, gabriele renzi [surrender\_it@remove.yahoo.it](mailto:surrender_it@remove.yahoo.it) wrote:
>
> > il Thu, 06 Mar 2003 17:56:50 -0500, [no@spam4me.com](mailto:no@spam4me.com) ha scritto::
> >
> > > Hello:
> >
> > hi!
> >
> > > #1 Is Ruby a good choice for a general porpose langarge that can build
> > > stand alone apps under Windows?
> >
> > I think so, you could use winapi, ole, and lots of other stuff.
> >
> > > #2 I may be off the web but I still gotta have my data, does Ruby
> > > support ODBC or some other way to connect to SQL server or an access
> > > database?
> >
> > ruby-DBI is a common interface to many database:
> > ADO, ODBC , DB2 , InterBase , MySQL , Oracle , PostgreSQL , etc
> >
> > > What are your top two “most helpful” web sites for working with
> > > Ruby.
> >
> > I think [http://www.rubygarden.org/](http://www.rubygarden.org/) is the most useful, with
> > [raa.ruby-lang.org](http://raa.ruby-lang.org).
> >
> > And this newsgroup/mailing list could solve all the problems you could
> > have.
> > The ruby community is _wonderful_
> >
> > > Thanks for any Input.
> > > Steve.
> >
> > np