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Often the most difficult part to learning to use a new class library is learning how to read and interpret the documentation, and the Processing libraryis no exception.

The main documentation for Processing is accessible from the Reference and Learning links at the top of the Cover page . While extensive, this documentation is not presented in industry standard javadoc format.Documentation in standard javadoc format is available here .

Android and HTML 5 make Processing more relevant

The Processing environment has been around for a long time. It was initially developed to serve as a software sketchbook and to teach fundamentals of computer programming within a visual context.While it originally occupied a very narrow niche market, it has now become more relevant on a broad scale for two important reasons:

  • Processing can be used to develop Android apps .
  • Processing has a sister product named Processing.js that will automatically convert (with some limitations) Processing source code into JavaScript code suitable for use with the canvas element in HTML 5.

In other words, Processing directly supports two of the newest and hottest items in information technology; mobile apps and HTML 5 canvas.

Discussion and sample code

The Processing website provides a number of tutorials that explain important aspects of the Processing environment and also provide sample codethat illustrates those aspects of the environment.

An integrated development environment (IDE)

As you will see when you study those tutorials, the Processing programming environment comes with its own integrated development environment (known as the Processing Development Environment or PDE). A screen shot of the PDE is shown in Image 1 .

Image 1. the processing development environment (pde).

The Processing IDE.
Image 1. The Processing Development Environment (PDE).

Click here to view an extensive discussion of the PDE.

While it is possible to develop Processing programs outside the PDE, that that presents several issues that I prefer not to deal with involving libraries, etc. Therefore, I will probably use the PDE in most of the modules in thiscollection.

The Getting Started tutorial

The Getting Started tutorial explains how to download and install the Processing environment on Windows, Mac,and Linux.

In addition, that tutorial shows you how to create your first sketch along with a lot of other useful information. Study it carefully.

Run the sketch

The Objects tutorial explains how to write a sketch in which you define your own class named Car and then instantiate and manipulate objects of that class.

I encourage you to copy the code from that tutorial into the PDE. ( Image 1 shows the beginning of that sketch.)

Once you have copied the code into the PDE, you have three optional ways to run the sketch:

  • Run directly from the PDE.
  • Run in JavaScript mode.
  • Export and run as an application.

Run directly from the PDE

You can run the sketch directly from the PDE by either clicking the triangular arrow button shown near the upper-left corner in Image 1 , or by selecting Run from the Sketch menu.

Questions & Answers

the diagram of the digestive system
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William Reply
They formed in two ways first when one sperm and one egg are splited by mitosis or two sperm and two eggs join together
Oluwatobi
what is genetics
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Genetics is the study of heredity
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how does twins formed?
Misack
What is manual
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Joseph Reply
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the study of living organisms and their interactions with one another and their environments
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the study of living organisms and their interactions with one another and their environment.
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discuss the biological phenomenon and provide pieces of evidence to show that it was responsible for the formation of eukaryotic organelles in an essay form
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list any five characteristics of the blood cells
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lack electricity and its more savely than electronic microscope because its naturally by using of light
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advantage of electronic microscope is easily and clearly while disadvantage is dangerous because its electronic. advantage of light microscope is savely and naturally by sun while disadvantage is not easily,means its not sharp and not clear
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cell theory state that every organisms composed of one or more cell,cell is the basic unit of life
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is like gone fail us
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cells is the basic structure and functions of all living things
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is organisms that are similar into groups called tara
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Kenna Reply
A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is ideal for situations requiring high-resolution imaging of surfaces. It is commonly used in materials science, biology, and geology to examine the topography and composition of samples at a nanoscale level. SEM is particularly useful for studying fine details,
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Diversity of living thing
ISCONT
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life is defined as any system capable of performing functions such as eating, metabolizing,excreting,breathing,moving,Growing,reproducing,and responding to external stimuli.
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Source:  OpenStax, The processing programming environment. OpenStax CNX. Feb 26, 2013 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11492/1.5
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