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**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [June 6, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-noob-question-index-html/106162 "2007-06-06T23:22:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1
**Author:**  [@newby](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/newby)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-noob-question-index-html/106162/1 "2007-06-06T23:22:31Z")
Hi,
I have a very noob question. I just started on RoR this week, glad to be
on board. I’m just wondering where I edit the first page when people
come to the site, index.html. There seems to be one in the public
folder. However, how do I make that a dynamic page?
Thanks
---
**Author:**  [@newby](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/newby)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-noob-question-index-html/106162/2 "2007-06-06T23:27:53Z")
Rename or remove that file and add a default route.
Look in your routes.rb file. You’ll see something like this…
# You can have the root of your site routed by hooking up ‘’
# – just remember to delete public/index.html.
# map.connect ‘’, :controller =\> “index”
Uncomment that and generate an index controller or whatever name you
like.
–
James M.
---
**Author:**  [@newby](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/newby)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 11:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-noob-question-index-html/106162/3 "2007-06-06T23:42:57Z")
Hi –
On Wed, 6 Jun 2007, Newby wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a very noob question. I just started on RoR this week, glad to be
> on board.
Welcome!
> I’m just wondering where I edit the first page when people
> come to the site, index.html. There seems to be one in the public
> folder. However, how do I make that a dynamic page?
Rails uses its routing system to figure out what to do given a
particular URL. That applies even when the URL is empty: you have to
register a routing rule that says what to do in response to the empty
URL.
To do this, look inside the file config/routes.rb. You’ll see a
section like this:
# You can have the root of your site routed by hooking up ‘’
# – just remember to delete public/index.html.
# map.connect ‘’, :controller =\> “welcome”
You want to uncomment the third line, and customize it to correspond
to whatever controller/action combo you want triggered by the empty
URL. (The action defaults to “index”, so the example above triggers
the index action of the welcome controller.)
So a typical case might look like:
map.connect ‘’, :controller =\> “main”, :action =\> “top”
or
map.connect ‘’, :controller =\> “main” # default to “index” action
etc.
And, like it says, don’t forget to delete public/index.html 🙂
David
–
Q. What is THE Ruby book for Rails developers?
A. RUBY FOR RAILS by David A. Black ([Ruby for Rails](http://www.manning.com/black))
(See what readers are saying! [http://www.rubypal.com/r4rrevs.pdf](http://www.rubypal.com/r4rrevs.pdf))
Q. Where can I get Ruby/Rails on-site training, consulting, coaching?
A. Ruby Power and Light, LLC ([http://www.rubypal.com](http://www.rubypal.com))
---
**Author:**  [@newby](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/newby)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2007, 11:50pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/very-noob-question-index-html/106162/4 "2007-06-06T23:50:57Z")
The index.html that is in public is just a place holder. Delete that
file and add a route in routes.rb for the “/” path to point to a
controller and action you want for the default content.
I recommend getting “Agile Web D. with Rails” which starts
with a short and to the point tutorial that gets an application up and
running, then dives into more detail on each component of an
application.
Michael