Projects
When Processing was first initiated in 2001, the convergence of software and the arts was not as well-developed as it is today. Over the years, Processing has reached and empowered not only artists and coders, but also designers, filmmakers, educators, musicians, performers, and students of all kinds. Its community is now flourishing around the world, from university classrooms to hackerspaces. The Processing Foundation’s goal is to ensure that this access continues. As the 21st century continues to see new technologies shape culture, the Foundation takes a leading role in providing the tools for people to build such technologies, by supporting the following projects.
Processing (Java)
Initially created to serve as a software sketchbook and to teach programming fundamentals within a visual context, Processing has since evolved into a development tool for professionals, an educational tool used in classrooms around the world, and a new context and medium for artists. The Processing software is free and open source, and runs on macOS, Windows, and GNU/Linux platforms. Today, there are tens of thousands of students, artists, designers, researchers, and hobbyists who use Processing for learning, prototyping, and production.
If you are interested in receiving updates about Processing, contributing to the repository, or downloading the software, visit the Processing website.
p5.js (JavaScript)
p5.js is a JavaScript library that starts with the original goal of Processing — to make coding accessible for artists, designers, educators, and beginners — and reinterprets this for today’s web. Using the original metaphor of a software sketchbook, p5.js has a full set of drawing functionality for the entire browser page. For this, p5.js has addon libraries that streamline interaction with other HTML5 objects, including text, input, video, webcam, and sound. Having just been released, p5.js is in active development, with an official editing environment and other features coming soon.
p5.js is a collaborative project created by many individuals, and you are invited to help. All types of involvement are welcome.
Processing.py (Python)
Python Mode for Processing was chiefly developed by Jonathan Feinberg, with contributions from James Gilles and Ben Alkov. The Python Mode examples, reference, and tutorials were ported and/or created by James Gilles, Allison Parrish, and Miles Peyton. Casey Reas, Ben Fry, Daniel Shiffman, and Golan Levin provided guidance and encouragement. The Python Mode of Processing currently needs a new maintainer.
If you’d like to help maintain Python Mode and its documentation, please find us on Github!
Processing for Android (Java)
A version of Processing designed for creating native Android applications, allowing developers to write code that runs on Android devices with the same ease as desktop sketches. You can run your Processing sketches on Android devices (phones, tablets, watches) with little or no changes in the code, and without worrying about installing SDK files or editing layout files. Processing for Android also lets you access the Android API to read sensor data and export your sketch as a signed package ready to upload to the Google Play Store.
To read more about Processing for Android, download the software, or contribute to the repository, visit the website.