# I'm new - Need some serious help

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/im-new-need-some-serious-help/156859>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [January 4, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/im-new-need-some-serious-help/156859 "2009-01-04T13:16:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ulrich](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@ulrich](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ulrich)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/im-new-need-some-serious-help/156859/1 "2009-01-04T13:16:39Z")

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Hi,

I’m just starting out to learn Ruby and do web developing as a hobby  
and then came across Rails.

What is it exactly? The explanation on site does not exactly tell me  
what it is… PHP is a server-side scripting language. Is Rails the  
same based on Ruby principles or what? I hear Python has a similar  
thing called Django (but I do not understand these technologies).

Also, do I need to learn Ruby first in order to proceed with Rails or  
can I start right off with Rails?

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**Author:** ![ulrich](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@ulrich](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ulrich)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/im-new-need-some-serious-help/156859/2 "2009-01-04T13:20:14Z")

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On 4 Jan 2009, at 08:22, Ulrich wrote:

> 

Ruby is a programming language, as is PHP, Scala, Python, brainfuck  
etc…  
Rails is a framework for writing web applications written in ruby  
(just as Django is a web app framework written in python, CakePHP and  
Symphony are PHP frameworks etc…)

> Also, do I need to learn Ruby first in order to proceed with Rails or  
> can I start right off with Rails?

I would certainly recommend you have a working knowledge of ruby.

Fred

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ulrich](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@ulrich](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ulrich)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/im-new-need-some-serious-help/156859/3 "2009-01-04T14:23:04Z")

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On Sun, Jan 4, 2009 at 4:19 AM, Frederick C.  
\<removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid

> wrote:

> > What is it exactly? The explanation on site does not exactly tell me  
> > Also, do I need to learn Ruby first in order to proceed with Rails or  
> > can I start right off with Rails?
> 
> I would certainly recommend you have a working knowledge of ruby.
> 
> Fred
> 
> > >

Hi Ulrich, I agree with Fred in regards to having a good working  
knowledge  
of Ruby because it will definitely make your life easier when learning  
Rails.

-Conrad