Please, help to start... for a desktop application

Hello everybody,

I would really like to start the best way. I studied some Java in the
past but when I met ruby I really loved it, and now I should like to
learn and do well.

Could you help me suggesting your favorite way for a desktop
application? I would be happy to hear from you…

Let me tell you about the application I would need…

It’s a desktop application for management which…

  • should be a “window” application for data-insert, and for producing
    and managing documentation starting based on those data
  • client/server
  • producing (and viewing) pdf (maybe doc/odt) reports which should be
    saved locally and uploaded via ftp
  • installable as compiled on windows (and may be in the future on
    linux/mac)
  • hem, it would released as proprietary code…
  • should be “protected” with activation code (this is very important)
    and/or periodic check through a connection to a server

I know that proprietary code is not very adherent to ruby philosophy…
but I hope that new applications could anyway help the spreading of the
language… Maybe that different technologies could be considered for a
proprietary code, but I really like ruby…

I hope my questions are asked in the right manner and communicate the
right feeling, English is not my original language…

Thank you very much

wslt