Demystifying the Python-Processing Landscape: An Overview of Tools Combining Python and Processing
Tristan Bunn, Taylor Carrasco · 2022
Processing is composed of a programming language and an editor for writing and compiling code, providing a collection of special commands to draw, animate, and handle user input using Java. Python Mode for Processing (also referred to as Processing.py) leverages Jython, a Java implementation of Python, to interface with Processing’s Java core. One can install and activate Python Mode in Processing using a button in the IDE interface. Python Mode enables Python syntax in the IDE (instead of Java) but has its limitations: it is source-compatible with Python 2.7 (not 3+) and does not support CPython libraries (such as NumPy). Several promising new Python-Processing tools have emerged, but this proliferation of alternatives can confuse would-be users. This talk maps out the Python-Processing landscape, offering insight into the different options and providing direction for beginners, teachers, and more accomplished programmers keen to explore Python as a tool for creative coding projects.