# Beginner Q

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-q/110511>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [July 27, 2007, 1:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-q/110511 "2007-07-27T01:06:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dust](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dust](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dust)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 1:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-q/110511/1 "2007-07-27T01:06:52Z")

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So, when i first started to learn ruby _about a week or two ago_, my  
cousin _who showed me ruby_ had me start on a program called  
hackety-hack, which is i type of tutorial thing, it kind of gives  
programs a sort of gui also. But i have noticed you cant do some of the  
same commands as on the irb main. In hackety-hack there was an  
_ask_ command, so you could do things like  
var = ask(“how old are you”)…

Im wondering if/ or what is the acctual _ask_ command?? Because im  
trying to write a program for my dad _a chef_ which vendors have the  
cheapest prices, and its getting annoying writing out all their prices  
into 2 different arrays. it would be nice if it could be like  
Array\_1 = ask("put in the 1st vendors prices)  
Array\_2 = ask("put in 2nd vendors prices) _and then i could go on and  
subtract the two arrays_

Sorry if this is a totaly idiotic question :(!?  
Much thanx for anyones help!