Features of Web Based Processing.js Editor

We are well on our way in the design and prototyping of how we believe the new web-based Processing.js editor should work and the features that it should have (at least in the early release that we will be working on). We plan to have, of course, the regular options that any editor should have, being the ability to save and load files that have been created within the editor, as well as a 'create' function which displays a new editor tab with a dialog box popping up asking what they would like to name the file. The editor will be on a server with its own database containing a filesystem which allows users to access their files from any location. The editor will also have syntax highlighting which will improve the readability of the code, which in turn will improve the efficiency of the developer.

Processing.js's code is also known as sketches. There will be an area where the user can test their code out and see it in action. There will be a play button and a reload button that will give them easy access to perform these tasks. There will also be quick reference to processing.js syntax and documentation, allowing the user to search for processing.js functions to check a) if they exist, b) how they can be used and c) syntax examples.

Tonight, Harjinder, Steven, Anthony and myself collaborated and came up with a prototype located below of one of the ways that this editor could look. Under the 'Active' tab is where the proposed demonstration of the code that has been compiled using the 'play' button can be found, and Reference is where the processing.js references can be found. They can also be searched for using the search box beside it. When Reference is pressed, the processing.js references will likely be sorted in alphabetical order. We think that the below looks like a nicely designed IDE but it is just one of the ways that it could be designed, and we are still in the early stages. No matter how beautiful it looks like in the end, which it undoubtedly will, we will enjoy working on it and it will definitely be both a good experience and incredibly rewarding.