i can't figure out what .pde stands for? there's no "a" for arduino or "c" for either c or c++. there's not even a "j" for java (which is arduino's front end). does anyone know what this extension stands for?
cheers,
roy
Arduino software is extremely similar to Processing... not sure how it all happens but the Processing sketches are .pde which stand for processing development environment.
AlphaBeta, thanks for posting that link, its nice to know that discussion is happening. I feel guilty every time I recommend Processing to non-technical Arduino users, knowing that they will probably get confused if they install Processing and then click on an Arduino sketch. Changing the file extension to something not in conflict with Processing would be good, whatever extension naming is chosen.
I got so fed up with Processing opening Arduino code that I modified the file extension mapping in my OS to make Arduino the default application for PDE files.
I got so fed up with Processing opening Arduino code that I modified the file extension mapping in my OS to make Arduino the default application for PDE files.
Me too.
A short story:
A couple of weeks ago I got an email from a fellow student who was not able to get any arduino code to work.
I sent him the blink.pde and when he compiled he got all sorts of error messages, I simply thought something had happened to his Arduino install, and so, he reinstalled the IDE.
After some five more mail I realized he had been using the Processing IDE (Because he had used it in school, and ofcource it was set as default for .pde).
Big surprise:
When he opened the blink.pde in Arduino IDE, everything was fine.
After this incident I searched around the arduino.cc for some information about this, so I could reference it to the student in trouble. I did however, not find anything.
I really hope this will be fixed soon 
Yep, It needs fixing. ADE would be just fine. It's just like all the problems we have with C files being opened by what we most recently installed and not always by what we wanted...
processing development environment, huh? i never would have guessed that. thanks to all who replied.
best regards,
roy
I got close hehe. :o
.ade probably isn't the best choice. It's used by Microsoft Access.
At least on Windows, extensions longer than three characters are allowed. I respectfully suggest .ArduinoSketch.
ouch... and my typing fingers will curse you every time... lol
I think shorter might be a bit nicer.
I agree that it would be nice to have a file extension that doesn't collide with anything else, particularly processing. What about .ardu? 4 characters is a bit long, but it's descriptive and almost surely unique.
I guess I don't rely on double-clicking files to open them in the IDE. I have maybe four sketches that need opening now and then, and each one is multi-tabbed, so it's a directory of files, not just one file.
Obviously though, if we're debating new extensions, .ino or .uino is for us. Sketch.uino Blink.uino or Servo.ino - think of the possibilitiesuino.
But as my avatar says, Whatduino?
OMG... all that "uino" stuff will will make massimo go nutty....
Some other's I ruled out mentioning till now:
Arduino Design File (ADF) Only conflicts with Amiga Emulator files
Arduino Sketch Source (ASS) ummm... no...
Here's one with no match:
Disegno Per Arduino (DPA) ...but my Italian is rusty.
Ok, I'm really bad at this... I'll stop...