Pi beginner

[geoana]

I am very accomplished and use Arduino monoboards (UNO, as an example) and the Arduino IDE on my Win7 PC. I also have OpenSuSe on a second machine if that is a better way to go?
I need a pretty small and simple 'device' that will sense one of 10 momentary contact switches and display a specific jpg on a HMDI display depending on which switch is depressed. I know how to multiplex the 10 switches to the limited GPIO as I also need 10 GPIO as output pins (20 '''GPIO''' which are not available, of course on the Pi.)
I speak C/C++ and MS vb.net fluently.....I would prefer to develop on W7 (or W10 which I also have).....

This project is for a museum - I don't get paid and we don't charge admission (501(c3) not that it matters).

My questions are fairly simple:
1. Is the Pi 3B the proper choice for this project? HMDI capability!
2. What IDE would most closely resemble the Arduino or MS Visual Studio IDEs that I know well...?
3. What software language would be best to use?

Thanks, Geo

[jamesh]

I'd forget using Windows development environment- use Linux, much easier.

But, to go back to first principles, there are a number of packages already available that may do what you want - specifically designed for museums and presentation systems.

PiPresent, Kweb comes to mind. Google will find them. I believe they do have GPIO input.

Failing that, C or C++ or Python, PiGPIO to provide GPIO input will probably suffice.

[rpdom]

20 '''GPIO''' which are not available, of course on the Pi

Really? Last time I looked there were 26 GPIO available on the 40 pin header. They will need configuring as input/output of course. Some may have other default functions, but unless you are using them for something else I don't see a problem (other than to remember that GPIO 2 and 3 have strong pull-up resistors on the board.

[jahboater]

I also have OpenSuSe on a second machine if that is a better way to go?

Yes definitely.
Linux is the best platform for working with Pi's for various reasons.

[Heater]

It pains me to say it, after half a life time avoiding MS products, but I have been using Windows 10 to develop for everything for nearly 2 years and it has worked out very well.

How so? Well, all the Free and Open Source programs I know and love from Linux run just fine on Windows now a days. Importantly Win 10 now has the Linux Subsystem For Windows, this takes care of running a lot if the command line tools I need which otherwise don't run on Windows, compilers and so on.

Having that, there are limitations still in Windows so it's always good to have a real Linux machine around.

1. Is the Pi 3B the proper choice for this project? HMDI capability!

Sounds like a match made in heaven. GPIO in/out, HDMI display, some simple code in the middle. Updateable over the network.

2. What IDE would most closely resemble the Arduino or MS Visual Studio IDEs that I know well...?

None I hope. Arduino is a bit too simplistic and of no benefit for developing Pi programs. Visual Studio is one of the MS monsters I still aviod.

You don't really need a development environment. Just edit your code in your editor of choice and then compile/run it from the command line. Linux/Unix is a development environment!

On the other hand I love Microsoft's Visual Studio Code. It's Free and Open Source Software, runs on Linux, Mac, Windows. Runs on the Pi.
https://code.visualstudio.com/
https://code.headmelted.com/

I use Javascript a lot now a days. JS in the browser, JS as the server/command line app running under node.js. Much nicer than Python, less hassle than C++.

You could build you application with JS running under Electron: https://electronjs.org/

Hmmm.... speaking of which, someone has already built the kiosk system you need using JS and Electron, Benja,
https://benja.io
https://benja.io/docs/