Appendix B: Processing Libraries
In this Appendix we use the Processing libraries to create graphics programs in Java.
Processing is a language and integrated development environment. Processing is free and open source, and used by educators and artists worldwide.
Under the hood, the Processing language is actually a simplified
version of Java, and Processing sketches (programs) are compiled and
run on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) using the standard Java
command-line tools javac and java. All
Processing functions, such as the size(),
fill(), ellipse(), etc. are packaged into
Java archive (.jar) files which are part of the
Processing installation.
In order to use the Processing libraries from Java, your
javac and java need to be able to find the
Processing libraries (the .jar files). You can use the
CLASSPATH environment variable to do this.
On Mac with Processing installed in the default location
(/Applications), the command line is:
export CLASSPATH=.:/Applications/Processing.app/Contents/app/*To set your CLASSPATH automatically when you open a
new Terminal window, include that line in your .zshrc
(or .bashrc) file in your home directory.