Make: Getting Started with Processing: A Quick, Hands-on Introduction

If you want to start programming with processing, this book would definitely be useful. When it arrived, I sat down at my desk to go through the features and was impressed with how easy to use both the language itself as well as the instructional book were. However, I think I expected more from the examples. The examples given in the book will demonstrate the bare bones features of a given function or tool, but to apply those features to impressive projects will require some tinkering with the program yourself.Overall, that's almost exactly what the book advertised, and it does the job pretty well. This book is inexpensive, lightweight, easy to follow, and I recommend it to all who want to get started with processing and also have an idea of what they want to build with it.

After ten years of absence from programming (mainly Delphi and, yes, assembly language), one morning I had an idea that required me to jump in again. I didn't want to spend time and money explaining to some subcontractor how to make a feasibility study. I wanted to "feel" it my self. First I downloaded Processing and started tinkering with its clever examples. Then I decided upon a few reachable details of my personal project. Then, during two evenings in bed before falling asleep and a few km commuting by train, I swallowed this nice and useful book. It reassured me profoundly. Then I jumped in. Wow. I still am not regretting neither the few dollars nor the few hours spent on this book. All Processing tutorials and examples are OK, but consolidating this knowledge by reading the book was a winning decision. This is a must-read for anyone who has an idea of programming and wants to learn Processing (or Java, for that manner) by exploiting those times where accessing a computer is simply not practical.

If you have an interest in Processing, you will want to start with this gentle introduction. This book provides straightforward example and clear, concise code. For 200 pages the book is heavy with graphics and example code.The book provides an introduction to the Processing environment and to the fundamentals of the language. With the knowledge in this book you will quickly be doing graphical things on the PC - a lot faster than with any Microsoft development environment!If your goal is to use a PC language to develop graphics and apps on a PC, but don't feel that you are a 'programmer', then this is the language and book for you. The book is approachable and the language is very clean. The result is after going through this book you will have the confidence to 'do things' on a PC that you didn't think you could do. Programming is within reach of 'non programmers' again.

This book joins other great titles from MAKE to get you started, but it won't take you very far. Books like this one requires the user to follow along and participate. If you want to get anything out of it, try the examples.This book is about the Processing Scripting/Programming language on your computer to make it more interactive with the world.Although this book is a basic introduction to Processing, it gave me the ability to know what I was looking at and enough to be dangerous with. This book also makes it easier to understand what you are trying to learn and accomplish, making it easier in the future to research the information you are looking for.I will buy MAKE products again in the future.***I only rate an item 5 stars if it blows away all expectations and goes above & beyond compared to all items in the same category.***

My son decided he wanted to move up from Logo so we introduced him to processing. This book was purchased along with Processing: Creative Coding and Generative Art and Processing: A Programming Handbook for Visual Designers and Artists.As his first processing book this did great. Quick overview with some quick wins really got him a taste of the power of the language and what might be possible.He still re-reads and, references it and reworks the examples.I just reached over and opened it up, it has marked pages on the examples and discussion dealing with how to detect the bounds of a circle. He needs this to finish up his virtual slingshot game.When a book can be both reference and inspiration you know its good!

Being an introduction to Processing, and with about 200 pages, the book GSWP leaves several aspects of the language without mention. So it is not a recommended choice for someone who wants to develop serious work in Processing - for that I recommend  Processing: A Programming Handbook for Visual Designers and Artists . However, its very low cost, nice presentation and streamlined explanations make GSWP very valuable for a quick introduction to the language. A 4.4 points book, not enough for 5 starts for the aforementioned reason.

For those of you older than 25 you may remember LOGO. Processing is kind of like this generation's LOGO and this book is a great introduction for Processing and programming in general. For beginners and kids this book is clear and gives a good headstart into coding. For more experienced programmers the book can be quickly skimmed through to get a basic idea of syntax and the cool things that Processing can do. Highly recommended! And cheap, too! There are $50 books that do the same thing and not as well.

Processing is a great place to get started with creative coding and who better to learn from than an original founding creator. This is a pretty straightforward beginner’s guide to the language of Processing but also serves as a more general orientation for programming if you’ve not had that experience before and creative coding for art, design, interaction and experimental works.

This little book goes through a really good range of core programming skills using the programming langugage Processing (which the author has been closely involved with for many years now). Most examples are visual and fun so it stands out from the vast majority of programming books. Processing is a fantatstic language (a derivative of Java) for anyone who wants to learn core coding skills rapidly or anyone who is interested in coding for visual/sonic outcomes. Within moments of reading this book and using Processing you can get exciting results. The examples in this book now come with the latest version of the Processing IDE (development environment) so you can check them out as you read. The book could also be carried around and used as a reference. A friendly and fun introduction to programming. Highly recommended.

I bought this book as I was struggling to get to grips with Processing using online help and tutorials. I have a lot of C experience and this book was just about perfect for covering all the necessary stuff to move from C. If you didn't know C that wouldn't be a problem but I would imagine some of the syntax and concepts might take longer to grasp. For me the section on interfacing Processing to Arduino via serial was particularly useful (although a bit brief).

Really clearly written. Nice tone to the writing but without all the stupid bad jokes that you get in many beginner's guides.Every concept has examples to help you understand and everything is introduced with plenty of context to help you see how a function/method is useful straight off.Code and pictures are clear. Would highly recommend.

I wanted to get into processing via a book, and got this since it was by the guys that did processing. First, I am not a full time programmer, but I do dabble in multiple languages for fun. Processing is Java basically, and the book guides you in very smoothly, and I picked up a few cool tricks for real time applications along the way. Buy the book and do the examples, it's great!

it's a shame that i only start to read this book today! this is a really fun book and everything is explained in an interesting and easy to learn manner, can't wait to read the rest pages of the book!