Are Arduinos Easy to Programme?

Electronic projects are some of the most popular and interesting hobbies that people from all over the world and of all age groups indulge in. With free and open source software making waves in the IT community for years now, it was only a matter of time before the open source ideology moved on to newer avenues as well. Open-hardware seems to be the talk of the town today, and where open electronics is discussed, the Arduino takes up centre stage throughout the world. 

Arduino Basics
Arduino, according to the experts, is an open source electronics prototyping platform. In simpler words, this is a device that can be used as an open source base for a wide range of interesting hardware-based projects. While hobbyists may swear by the device and its efficacy, it has found its way into many different realms, including military research and home automation, something which even the makers of the system would have not expected to happen.

The real power of the Arduino is not in its hardware capabilities – it is in its ability to act as a board that runs programmes. For instance, Arduino boards can be stacked up together and used collectively in complex projects, such as the Quadcopter (a quad rotor-based droid capable of controlled flight)

The Processing Language
At the heart of every Arduino-based project, there is the language called Processing. This programming language has its own structure, inbuilt functions, variables and nuances, depending on the board being used, and its many features. The language itself is extremely easy to pick up even for a beginner, as it is structured similar to the Java language. Therefore, an IT professional with knowledge of Java should be able to learn the language fairly quickly. Its programming model is simpler than that of Java though, and it is designed to be easily picked up even by non-programmers.

To help understand the nuances of the language, Arduino's developers have made a language reference page available to enthusiasts on their website. The reference lists out the various keywords and variables and functions that can be used in programming the Arduino, and the vocabulary of the language is pretty simple and easy to understand.

Programming the Arduino electronics platform is much easier than programming other prototyping platforms, thanks to the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that comes with the Arduino. The environment is pretty simple, clean and compact, and uses a minimal green interface that allows the programmer to quickly begin coding and creating the programmes. The IDE also has modules that help to push the programmes into the Arduino's microcontroller chip, so that it can be executed on the device. Apart from links to help sheets, the IDE also comes with some real world examples of Arduino programmes.

All in all, there are a host of tutorials and resources available online, which can be used even by non-programmers to successfully code and programme the Arduino. All it takes is a little bit of patience and a bit of perseverance.