Thought it might be useful having my chunk documented somewhere on my blog so that I can keep in mind what I am going to be doing:

CHUNK 61
TITLE Classes 2
DESCRIPTION This part of the book should introduce the code behind a class; this will require teaching of the highest order. This is a repeat of the previous chunk. Classes are so dificult to understand so we have decided to repeat the teaching
OUTCOME
Be able to understand the code of a simple class programmed in no more than 30 lines of code
REFERENCE Greenberg 304
HINT Try and describe a class that implements some simple graphics. Do enough teaching on constructors to get you throuugh but do not go to town on this: there will be more teaching on constructors later. Make the arguments lists a little more complicated than the previous chunk of the book, say three arguments maximum.
PROGRAM Difficult task: try and develop a class that is a little more complicated than the one that you describe and make it do something really visual.

Have not made much progress at all so far due to pressure of work. I have read up to Ch3 and just starting Ch4. I am hoping for to get some time put by over Christmas to get some more reading done and will try and write my chunk in January when I am skint and have nothing to do with the cold evenings.

I have decided to attempt Book Fragment 61 Classes 2. I put in quite a late bid and found that many of the fragments that caught my eye had already gone. I have not even read the chapter on advanced object oreientation which relates to my fragment so do not know what is in store. Professor Ince has said it will be quite tricky but will support some good graphics. I'm glad as I would rather be challenged than bored.

I am currently on Chapter 3 of the Greenberg book so have some way to go before I start work on my fragment. I'm usually too busy to read it at work and the only peace I get at home is when Tommy and Mollie are asleep by which time I am normally knackered myself. I get a fair amount of reading done in the loo and have upped my intake of bran flakes to assist with this.

I emailed the project email to see if anyone had thought of a title for the book as yet. No one has as yet...

I got the Greenberg book today and have had a quick read of the introduction, it looks pretty interesting and is easy to read. Processing is completely new to me and none of my previous experience has involved much graphic work apart from Ball World in the Budd Java book of M301. The examples in the book look very sophisticated compared to this and I can't wait to download the IDE. In fact I think I'll do it now...

Hello World,

This blog will chart my progress in the Open University Mass Writing Project as I and about 80 others collaborate in writing a book about Processing, a Java based programming environment developed primarily for developing computer graphics and computer art.

After 6 years of continuous Open University study I thought I would enjoy some time off, but strangely have found there to be a hole in my life and am very excited to be given an opportunity to contribute to a project like this.

Having read the blogs from a few other contributors I am a little concerned that I seem to be so far behind everyone else already. This is a little reminiscent of my degree where I usually started assignments the day before they were due and revised the morning of the exams but hopefully it will all come right in the end...