The History of Processing

maxoffsky.com

69 points·pmarin··10 comments

Since the server is down: https://web.archive.org/web/20180419080129/https://maxoffsky...

Great read!

I like processing. It easy to get up and running with it and the tutorials are great. Programing graphics is fun (I cut my initial programming teeth on logo). I didn't realize its kinda Java till I started using Java at work.

The name "processing" isn't great though. It can be difficult to remember.

Somewhat fun there are "javascript versions" for the browser, but somewhat confusingly there are a few versions: processingJS [1], p5js (which I think is the official processing port).[2]

http://processingjs.org/ https://p5js.org/

> It can be difficult to remember.

To google, too.

Possibly the more important trait these days

>its kinda Java

It is Java.

> The name "processing" isn't great though. It can be difficult to remember.

I interned with Ben Fry about 6, 7 years ago and think I remember him saying that he regretted naming it "Processing" because of all the reasons people mention here (google, it's a verb, sounds a bit generic, etc)

Processing is a truly pleasant introduction to programming

Over the past 3 or 4 years I've introduced maybe a couple dozen absolute beginners to programming. I always use Processing.

In 25 lines you can make something awesome and get them engaged, and before they know it they are learning core programming / logic fundamentals, and maybe OOP principles as well.

I agree with others that Processing is not a good name.

Using libraries made for Processing in straight Java or other JVM languages is a lot of fun.

I understand that this is the exact title of the original post, but a postfix like " (programming language)" or " (software sketchbook)" would clarify it on HN.

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