2.2. Programmatic drawing

Everything you need to know to start programming in the Processing language is contained in this and sections 2.3 and 2.4 to follow. After reading all three, you’ll have the basics not just of Processing but also of programming in general. At their core, all programming languages boil down to the same types of structures: variables, loops, and functions. When you’ve got a grip on these concepts in Processing, you’ll find you have half an understanding of many other languages and will be the toast of your local chess club.

I appreciate that some of this may be a little unintuitive at first. If you feel you’re in unfamiliar territory as you wander through, I’d suggest you take this chapter very slowly. Code along as we go, and take the time to play around with trying every code chunk until you feel in control; only move on when you’re happy. There is no time limit, and your patience will be rewarded. Experienced coders are probably already speed-reading chapter 3 at this stage, so I’ll assume I’m not catering to them from here on.