Preparation for a couple of weeks of p5.js

BRING YOUR LAPTOP POWER SUPPLY TO CLASS

’nuff said.

Install software

Install p5.js

Install node.js

Find a text editor

Software development requires you use an editor that supports plain text (ASCII and UNICODE) and doesn’t do goofy formatting things with HTML.  Most (all?) software development editors will handle JavaScript.  Note that “which editor is best?” is what we refer to as “an underwear argument.” This is when adults waste countless hours arguing about briefs, boxers, boyshorts, thongs, hipsters, and going commando.

Open source options include:

• emacs — steep learning curve but worth the effort.  This is my editor for all programming languages including TeX (a markup language popular for academic papers).
• atom — like emacs but for people who are younger than emacs. Lots of interesting ways to customize for other applications. For example, it’s my Python editor when I’m using the Rhino CAD software and writing a Python script to modify models.
• sublime — like atom but different.  Very popular on the Mac as a replacement for BBEdit, predates atom.

There are plenty of commercial options, if you already use BBEdit (equiv) or XCode that should be fine.

Become Shiffman’s BFF and crash learn p5.js

A very detailed history of p5.js.  This will answer a lot of  what/why questions.

Since we just did arrays, here is how they work in p5.js.

Later in the semester we will look at “scraping” data from the interweb to use in class project, here’s one way we can do this.

Review the p5.js reference

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