interactive programs and other platforms

procjohn

Hi, I only know a little about processing, but it seems like it might be a good way to help me develop math games (non-commercially, just a side project). I have in mind some things having to do with animation and requiring some interaction. My understanding is that processing can handle interaction somewhat; i.e. detect mouse clicks and respond.

First I want to make sure this is true.

Second, I am going to want to make my math games available on many platforms including iPads and Android tablets. I see there is a JavaScript port of processing. Does the interactive aspect work in there? I.e. can it detect events and choose responses? Running it in a browser could be a way of making it available on multiple platforms. How about other ways of making it available, other ports and such?

Thanks Mike

GoToLoop

• For multi-platform deployment the best Processing spinoff is p5.js: https://p5js.org/
• Besides the regular Processing API: https://p5js.org/reference/
• It also got some useful API to deal w/ web's DOM, like input boxes, sliders, etc.:
  https://p5js.org/reference/#/libraries/p5.dom
• And other cool exclusive 3rd-party libraries: https://p5js.org/libraries/
• And given p5.js is also a JS library, it's possible to mix other JS libraries in most cases too.
• Here's a tiny online sample using library dat.GUI together w/ p5.js: :bz
  http://Bl.ocks.org/GoSubRoutine/861b48f0b0118219c6a7cdd28309ee62

jeremydouglass

(And yes, the interaction model is a core part of every version of Processing. In addition to mouse and keyboard p5.js has touches[] for multitouch support.)

However, if your goal is to write game code once and then run it on the web, Android, and iPhone, Processing is not the best tool for you right now.

Processing is currently. "write code for the web in p5.js JavaScript, write related but different code in Android mode or deploy a JavaScript mobile app wrapper of your p5.js code using a third-party system, and write hypothetical but different (largely undocumented) code for iPhone, or just don't get it working on iPhone." If you want one build button and three targets this won't do that.

I'm a big Processing fan, but if your goal is cross-platform mobile deployment of simple 2D games then I'd recommend one of the many popular platforms designed specifically for that:

https://www.google.com/search?q=cross+platform+mobile+game+development

If your goal is to let your students edit the games they play to learn about programming then Processing and Scratch are highly relevant -- particularly in a desktop context.

procjohn

Jeremy, hmm, I understand the issue with Processing not being the best multi-platform development tool. That is a little disappointing because I really wanted to learn Processing for doing art eventually (in a future project)... and I was hoping to gain the efficiency of combining my learning curve in doing this game with my learning curve on Processing. Pardon my ignorance, but you are saying that JS doesn't just work the same in iPhone/iPad (I assume you mean all IOS systems by "iPhone") browsers as it does in Android or Windows or macOS?

jeremydouglass

@procjohn -- if you want to learn p5.js you should -- it will help you make interactive web-based apps immediately, and your time will definitely not be wasted. It is JavaScript, and understanding it will also help you with many cross-platform app development systems.

The catch as I said is that deployment to truly cross-platform PC+mobile applications is not simple, so you may want a non-Processing dev system for that -- or you could just ignore iOS and focus on Android. (Yes, I meant "all iOS targets" above.)