Make Processing sketches with scala on OSX

scala-processing.mkd

Setting up Processing for Scala

(on OSX)

• Install Processing
• Move Processing.app/ to your preferred destination (mine is in /Applications/)
• set scala classpath to include your-install-location/Processing.app/Contents/Resources/Java/core/library/core.jar. I created a little runner called run-sketch that looks like this:

export PROCESSING_CLASS_PATH=$CLASSPATH:/Applications/Processing.app/Contents/Resources/Java/core/library/core.jar

scala -cp $PROCESSING_CLASS_PATH $1

In mySketch.scala:

import processing.core._

object MySketch extends PApplet {
  private var mySketch:MySketch = _

  def main() = {
    mySketch = new MySketch

    val frame = new javax.swing.JFrame("MySketch")
    frame.getContentPane().add(mySketch)
    mySketch.init
    
    //setting JFrame size directly, since it doesn't seem to work otherwise.
    frame.setSize(600, 600)

    frame.setVisible(true)
  }
}

// Processing sketch code goes here!
class MySketch extends PApplet {

  // Just like Processing!
  override def setup() = {
  }

  override def draw() ={
  }
}

// PApplet.main(Array[String]) <-- takes arguments and classname in Java
MySketch.main()

I can call ./run-sketch mySketch.scala and view the sketch! Plus I can use my editor of choice and keep up to date with the latest version of Processing.

Horray!