Processing.org is a flexible software sketchbook and also a language for learning programming

On August 9, 2021, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of our first Processing software. During this period, we have been continuously improving our software literacy, especially in the fields of visual arts and technology. Processing was originally created as a software sketchbook to teach programming fundamentals in a visual environment, and later developed into a development tool for professionals. Processing software has always been free and open-source, and has been running on Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.

Processing remains an alternative to proprietary software tools with restrictive and expensive licenses, allowing both schools and individual students to use it. Its free, open source status encourages community participation and collaboration, which is crucial for its development. Contributors share programs, contribute code, and build libraries, tools, and patterns to expand the possibilities of software. The Processing community has developed over 100 libraries for computer vision, data visualization, music creation, networking, 3D file export, and programming electronics.

From the beginning, the design of Processing has been as simple as possible, making it convenient for beginners to use, while also knowing that this simplicity will benefit experienced users. Its inspiration comes from the immediacy of early languages such as BASIC and Logo, as well as our experience of learning coding and teaching coding to people from various backgrounds. The content taught by Professor Processing is the same as that taught in high school or university computer science introductory courses, but with a different emphasis. Due to its focus on creating visual and interactive media, novice programmers find it satisfying to have something appear on the screen while using the software. This inspiring course has been proven to successfully guide students in design, art, and architecture to learn programming and engage a wider range of students in general computer science courses.

Processing has been used in classrooms around the world, typically in visual arts courses at art schools and universities, but it also frequently appears in high schools, computer science courses, and humanities courses. In a survey sponsored by the National Science Foundation in the United States, students at Bryansk College who took a university level introductory computer course taught by Professor Processing were twice as likely to take another computer science course as students who took more traditional courses. The Processing method is also applied to electronic products through Wiring, Arduino, and projects. These projects use modified versions of the Processing programming environment, making it easier for students to learn how to program robots and countless other electronic projects.

Thousands of visual designers, artists, and architects use Processing software to create their works. Museums such as the Discovery Museum in San Francisco use Processing to hold exhibitions. Projects created using Processing have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Pompidou Art Center in Paris, and many other renowned venues. Processing is used to create projection stage designs for dance and music performances; Generate images for music videos and movies; Export images for posters, magazines, and books; And create interactive installations in galleries, museums, and streets. But the most important thing about Processing and culture is not the eye-catching results - it's how the software attracts a new generation of visual artists to see programming as an important component of their creative practice.

We established the Processing Foundation in 2012 with the aim of supporting our software development and helping people from various interests and backgrounds learn how to program and use code for creative work, especially those who may not have access to these tools and resources. We achieve this goal by developing and distributing a set of related software projects, as well as promoting partnerships and collaborations with alliance organizations and individuals, to build a more diverse community around software and art. For more information about the foundation, please visit the Processing Foundation website.

In the spring of 2001, we began developing Processing as graduate students in the Aesthetics and Computing research group at the MIT Media Lab. During Casey's pursuit of art and teaching careers, Ben's pursuit of a doctoral degree, and the establishment of Fathom Information Design, we continued to develop in our spare time. Many of the ideas in Processing can be traced back to Muriel Cooper's Visual Language Studio, which directly originated from Maeda's Design By Numbers project, developed in the Media Lab and released in 1999. Welcome to read more about the history of Processing on Medium.