Understanding the Arduino Software

Abstract

In this chapter, we will discuss the various programming components that will be used throughout this book. If you have programmed in C, you will find that programming for the Arduino is very similar. If not, this chapter will teach you the basic concepts. Why is it important for you to learn the basics of programming the Arduino? In the long run, this will help keep your code clean and readable. Also, learning the basic loops and structures initially will allow us to focus more on the libraries later. Libraries can be sets of classes, types, or functions and can be called by using keywords in your program. The purpose of a library is to readily add more functionality to your program by using code that has been created previously; this promotes code reuse. The libraries we will go over briefly in this chapter are NewSoftwareSerial, LCD Library, TinyGPS, and a few others.