Py5 Library for Processing

[vsquared]

What would be involved to create a py5 library for the Processing editor? We know that you can import py5 and py5_tools into Thonny; why can't we do something similar for Processing?

[hx2A]

Excellent question. There have been conversations about this. It would require a few things. First, the PDE would need some needed upgrades to streamline and modularize the process of making new modes. And second, there would need to be a reliable way to get Python and a Python environment setup on people's computers.

I'm determined to make sure this happens eventually. It will take some time though.

[vsquared]

Okay, Jython died, so why hasn't Processing switched to CPython?

[villares]

It was huge challenge, not trivial at all, an unsolved problem in many dimensions, a new Java <-> Python link was a hard problem. the Processing Python mode maintainer had no interest in exploring it, it was not a priority for the Processing Foundation. Maybe the right moment hadn't come, maybe jpype wasn't mature enough (and there were other contenders, all hard to integrate). Then in 2020, Jim created py5 🎉. And we hope with some support/funding it could get integrated into the Processing IDE, it would be great. But it is not easy.

[vsquared]

But it is not easy.
The good stuff usually isn't in my experience. How about creating an editor which will take py5 code (an editor is just a textView) and then running it off the command line using CPython? It's not that hard to then 'automate' the entire process. When we get it working then migrate to Processing. Not sure where JPype fits into the process; possibly py5 -> jpype -> CPython?
Observation:
Thonny seems to be able to do a pretty nice job; what do they know that Processing doesn't?

[hx2A]

How about creating an editor which will take py5 code (an editor is just a textView) and then running it off the command line using CPython?

Creating an editor takes a lot of work! The PDE is a great editor and by design it is very good for beginner coders. What the editor team would like to do is make it easier for the PDE to support other versions of Processing besides the original one. There are other modes, of course, but the code framework for how those other modes fit into the PDE could be improved. Once that happens, it will be easier for py5 to be a part of the PDE.

Not sure where JPype fits into the process; possibly py5 -> jpype -> CPython?

There is documentation explaining how py5 works:

https://py5coding.org/developer/how_does_py5_work.html

[GoToLoop]

, so why hasn't Processing switched to CPython?

• Processing IDE (PDE) runs on Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
• Any extra "Mode" (Java Mode, Processing.py, Android, etc.) requires Java code to do the language "bridge".
• A more viable option is to convert the PDE to run on GraalVM instead, which can embed guests languages such as:

🌐 Languages Supported by GraalVM

Language	Description
Java	Native support as GraalVM is a Java Virtual Machine
JavaScript	Full support including Node.js
Python	Via GraalPy, a high-performance Python 3 runtime
Ruby	Through TruffleRuby
R	For statistical computing and data analysis
WebAssembly	Experimental support for running WASM modules
LLVM-based languages	C, C++, Rust (via LLVM bitcode)

[vsquared]

@hx2A
Creating an editor takes a lot of work!
If it's 'full featured' that's true, but without all the bells and whistles it's not that tough. I've written several editors, some successful, some not. A code editor is a textView connected to the command line in its simplest form, which is what I'm proposing, simply for proof of concept. I need to study your explanation of how py5 works to see if it's feasible for this project.