Casey Reas - Make: Getting Started with Processing: A Hands-On Introduction to Making Interactive Graphics

by Casey Reas and Ben Fry

Copyright 2015 Ben Fry and Casey Reas. All rights reserved.

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• September 2015: Second Edition

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[LSI]

We created Processing to make programming interactive graphics easier. We were frustrated with how difficult it was to write this type of software with the programming languages we usually used (Java and C++), and were inspired by how simple it was to write interesting programs with the languages of our childhood (Logo and BASIC). We were most influenced by Design By Numbers (DBN), a language we were maintaining and teaching at the time (and which was created by our research advisor, John Maeda ).

Processing was born in spring 2001 as a brainstorming session on a sheet of paper. Our goal was to make a way to sketch (prototype) the type of software we were working on, which was almost always full-screen and interactive. We were searching for a better way to test our ideas easily in code, rather than just talking about them or spending too much time programming them in C++. Our other goal was to make a language for teaching design and art students how to program and to give more technical students an easier way to work with graphics. The combination is a positive departure from the way programming is usually taught. We begin by focusing on graphics and interaction rather than on data structures and text console output.

Processing experienced a long childhood; it was alpha software from August 2002 to April 2005 and then public beta software until November 2008. During this time, it was used continuously in classrooms and by thousands of people around the world. The language, software environment, and curricula around the project were revised continuously during this time. Many of our original decisions about the language were reinforced and many were changed. We developed a system of software extensions, called libraries, that have allowed people to expand Processing into many unforeseen and amazing directions. (There are now over 100 libraries.)

In fall 2008, we launched the 1.0 version of the software. After seven years of work, the 1.0 launch signified stability for the language. We launched the 2.0 release in spring 2013 to make the software faster. The 2.0 releases introduced better OpenGL integration, GLSL shaders, and faster video playback with GStreamer. The 3.0 releases in 2015 make programming in Processing easier with a new interface and error checking while programming.

Now, fourteen years after its origin, Processing has grown beyond its original goals, and weve learned how it can be useful in other contexts. Accordingly, this book is written for a new audiencecasual programmers, hobbyists, and anyone who wants to explore what Processing can do without getting lost in the details of a huge textbook. We hope youll have fun and be inspired to continue programming. This book is just the start.

While we (Casey and Ben) have been guiding the Processing ship through the waters for the last twelve years, we cant overstate that Processing is a community effort. From writing libraries that extend the software to posting code online and helping others learn, the community of people who use Processing has pushed it far beyond its initial conception. Without this group effort, Processing would not be what it is today.