Modified from code by Martin. Original 'Color Typewriter' concept by John Maeda. Click on the window to give it focus and press the letter keys to type colors. The keyboard function keyPressed() is called whenever a key is pressed. keyReleased() is another keyboard function that is called when a key is released.
Original Processing.org Example: KeyboardFunctions
// All Examples Written by Casey Reas and Ben Fry // unless otherwise stated. int max_height = 20; int min_height = 10; int letter_height = max_height; // Height of the letters int letter_width = 10; // Width of the letter int x = -letter_width; // X position of the letters int y = 0; // Y position of the letters boolean newletter; int numChars = 26; // There are 26 characters in the alphabet color[] colors = new color[numChars]; void setup() { size(200, 200); noStroke(); colorMode(RGB, numChars); background(numChars/2); // Set a gray value for each key for(int i=0; i<numChars; i++) { colors[i] = color(i, i, i); } } void draw() { if(newletter == true) { // Draw the "letter" int y_pos; if (letter_height == max_height) { y_pos = y; rect( x, y_pos, letter_width, letter_height ); } else { y_pos = y + min_height; rect( x, y_pos, letter_width, letter_height ); fill(numChars/2); rect( x, y_pos-min_height, letter_width, letter_height ); } newletter = false; } } void keyPressed() { // if the key is between 'A'(65) and 'z'(122) if( key >= 'A' && key <= 'z') { int keyIndex; if(key <= 'Z') { keyIndex = key-'A'; letter_height = max_height; fill(colors[key-'A']); } else { keyIndex = key-'a'; letter_height = min_height; fill(colors[key-'a']); } } else { fill(0); letter_height = 10; } newletter = true; // Update the "letter" position x = ( x + letter_width ); // Wrap horizontally if (x > width - letter_width) { x = 0; y+= max_height; } // Wrap vertically if( y > height - letter_height) { y = 0; // reset y to 0 } }