Chapter 2. Processing: A Programming Language for Artists
In this chapter you’re going to become a programmer. Although you don’t necessarily need to know a programming language to experiment with generative art, you’ll find it makes things a hell of a lot easier.
Obviously, one chapter probably can’t cover everything there is to know about any one language, but I’m confident that in around 30 pages, I can introduce all you need to start getting creative with code: from Hello World, through basic syntax and functions, to publishing your work for print, video, or mobile phones.
But first, if you plan to invest a significant amount of time in learning a tool, I feel I must justify the choice of programming language I’ve made for this book. Even constrained as you are to the toolset of the early twenty-first century, you have an abundance of software choices for experimentation with generative visuals. The options range from expensive professional tools (such as Flash and 3ds Max) to free online resources (like HasCanvas and Scratch). But your time is precious, and you could never hope to master them all. For your purposes, you need just one. The best one.