How to: Set up your PC to Develop Ruby on Rails

Web development of is an area of general heterogeneousness when it comes to the tools used to develop for it. 'Regular' standalone software development is often characterized by its standardized development regime, with its compilers and IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) defining the stage.

Enter the world of web development and matters are startlingly different. For most scripting languages, be it client-side or server-side, there are no de facto IDEs, nor are there compilers to deal with (which is generally a pleasant side-effect). While this gives you a lot of freedom, it may also be hair-raising and confusing, especially to beginners.

Since my interest for Ruby on Rails has recently been refueled I set out to deepen my knowledge on the matter. Soon enough, I was faced with setting up my computer to accommodate Ruby on Rails development. Unlike OS X, Microsoft Windows doesn't come with Ruby or Rails baked right in, so we'll need look at the options for installing it locally. As it turns out, things can turn out to become slightly complicated if you're on Windows.

On a Mac?

PDF: How to set up your PC to develop Ruby on Rails