Getting Started with p5.js

Chapter 1. Hello

p5.js is for  writing software to make images, animations, and interactions. The idea is to write a single line of code, and have a circle show up on the screen. Add a few more lines of code, and the circle follows the mouse. Another line of code, and the circle changes color when the mouse is pressed. We call  this sketching with code. You write one line, then add another, then another, and so on. The result is a program created one piece at a time.

Programming courses typically focus on structure and theory first. Anything visual—an interface, an animation—is considered a dessert to be enjoyed only after finishing your vegetables, usually several weeks of studying algorithms and methods. Over the years, we’ve watched many ...