Editing Processing (section)

==Features==
{{Infobox software
| name = Processing IDE
| logo = Processing 4.0b1 Icon.png
| logo caption = 
| screenshot = Processing 4.0b1 Screenshot.png
| caption = Screenshot of Processing's integrated development environment.
| collapsible = 
| author = 
| developer = 
| released = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=yes/no}} -->
| discontinued = 
| latest release version = 4.3
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2023|07|26}}
| latest preview version = 
| latest preview date = 
| status = 
| programming language = [[Java (programming language)|Java]], [[GLSL]], [[JavaScript]]
| operating system = [[Cross-platform]]
| platform = 
| language = 
| genre = [[Integrated development environment]]
| license = 
| website = {{URL|//processing.org}}
| frequently updated = <!-- DO NOT include this parameter unless you know what it does -->
}}

Processing includes a ''sketchbook'', a minimal alternative to an [[integrated development environment]] (IDE) for organizing projects.<ref name="Greenberg2007">{{cite book|author=Ira Greenberg|title=Processing: Creative Coding and Computational Art|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TKgfVpWPb0sC&pg=PA151|date=31 December 2007|publisher=Apress|isbn=978-1-4302-0310-0|pages=151–}}</ref>

Every Processing sketch is actually a subclass of the <code>PApplet</code> [[Java class]] (formerly a subclass of Java's built-in Applet) which implements most of the Processing language's features.<ref name="Meyer2018">{{cite book|author=Jeanine Meyer|title=Programming 101: The How and Why of Programming Revealed Using the Processing Programming Language|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yypgDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA121|date=15 June 2018|publisher=Apress|isbn=978-1-4842-3697-0|pages=121–}}</ref>

When programming in Processing, all additional classes defined will be treated as [[inner class]]es when the code is translated into pure Java before compiling.<ref name="Greenberg2010">{{cite book|author=Ira Greenberg|title=The Essential Guide to Processing for Flash Developers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7pVhzd6h20IC&pg=PA412|date=25 March 2010|publisher=Apress|isbn=978-1-4302-1980-4|pages=412–}}</ref> This means that the use of [[static variable]]s and [[Static methods|methods]] in classes is prohibited unless Processing is explicitly told to code in pure Java mode.

Processing also allows for users to create their own classes within the PApplet sketch. This allows for complex [[data types]] that can include any number of arguments and avoids the limitations of solely using standard data types such as: [[Integer (computer science)|int]] (integer), [[Character (computing)|char]] (character), [[Floating point|float]] (real number), and color (RGB, [[RGBA color space|RGBA]], hex).