// the find
jashkenas/ruby-processing
Code as Art, Art as Code. Processing and Ruby are meant for each other.
ruby-processing is a JRuby wrapper around the Processing creative coding framework, letting you write visual sketches in Ruby syntax instead of Java. It targets Processing 2.2.1 and JRuby 1.7.x — both of which are ancient. The README's first paragraph tells you it's deprecated and points you to JRubyArt or propane instead.
The API mapping from Processing to Ruby is clean — snake_case methods, Ruby blocks for callbacks, and idiomatic numeric helpers that make sketch code feel natural. The bundled libraries (vecmath, arcball, boids) cover the most common creative coding needs without requiring external deps. There's a real test suite with MiniTest specs against actual sketches, not just unit mocks. The rp5 CLI handles running, watching, and exporting with a single entry point.
This is dead software. Last push was 2020, it requires Processing 2.2.1 (released 2014) and JRuby 1.7.x, and the maintainer explicitly says to use something else — that's a bad sign before you even look at the code. The Java/Ruby split build toolchain (Maven + Rake + a pom.rb DSL) is unnecessarily convoluted for what is essentially a thin wrapper. Export to standalone application still relies on `.app` bundle templates with a binary `JavaApplicationStub`, which won't work on any modern macOS. The PROCESSING_ROOT config requirement (pointing at a manually installed Processing 2 IDE) makes CI or reproducible setup effectively impossible.