# The Nature of Code

The 2024 edition of The Nature of Code with p5.js. Includes Notion workflow and build system.

Repository: https://github.com/nature-of-code/noc-book-2
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/the-nature-of-code
Homepage: https://natureofcode.com
Language: HTML
License Family: other
Topics: creative-coding, nature-of-code, p5js, physics, simulation
Last push: 2026-05-06T16:15:30+00:00
Link (homepage): https://natureofcode.com

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 69/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 81, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 1668, "days_push": 119, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1900, forks 148 (observed 2026-08-28T04:05:51.486833+00:00)

## What it is
The raw source material for Daniel Shiffman's 'The Nature of Code' book, which teaches simulating natural systems (physics, forces, evolution, neural networks) with creative coding in JavaScript/p5.js. This archived repo contains the book's HTML text, illustrations, and CSS, buildable with the Magic Book toolchain; active development has moved to noc-book-2.

## Use cases
- learn to simulate natural systems like forces, particles, and flocking in code
- find a free creative coding textbook on physics and emergence
- study code examples for genetic algorithms and neural networks in p5.js
- build a custom edition of the book from its open source
- teach a course on computational simulation for artists

## Facets
- artifact type: learning-resource
- maturity: abandoned
- function: simulation, graphics, documentation
- domain: tutorials, simulation, graphics, education, programming-languages
- platform: cross-platform
- tags: creative-coding, p5js, processing, book, generative-art, physics-simulation, open-textbook, education, javascript, nodejs

## Member repositories
- nature-of-code/noc-book-2 (main) score 69
- nature-of-code/noc-book (mirror) score 10
- nature-of-code/noc-examples-p5.js-archived (examples) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:51.486833+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T03:08:43.058251+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/nature-of-code/noc-book-2 (fetched 2026-08-28T04:05:51.486833+00:00, sha 11bf0bca33d3)
  - homepage: https://natureofcode.com (fetched 2026-08-29T10:48:54.734069+00:00, sha b594b235df1e)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.