Beginning C++ Game Programming ISBN:1592002056 by Michael Dawson Course Technology © 2004 (335 pages) Offering a thorough and modern introduction to C++, this book has everything you need in order to learn the fundamentals of C++ and game programming basics Table of Contents Beginning C++ Game Programming Introduction Chapter 1 - Types, Variables, and Standard I/O—Lost Fortune Chapter 2 - Truth, Branching, and the Game Loop— Guess My Number Chapter 3 - For Loops, String, and Arrays—Word Jumble Chapter 4 - The Standard Template Library— Hangman Chapter 5 - Functions—Mad Lib Chapter 6 - References—Tic-Tac-Toe Chapter 7 - Pointers—Tic-Tac-Toe 2.0 Chapter 8 - Classes—Critter Caretaker Chapter 9 - Advanced Classes and Dynamic Memory —Game Lobby Chapter 10 - Inheritance and Polymorphism— Blackjack Appendix A - Creating Your First C++ Program Appendix B - Operator Precedence Appendix C - Keywords Appendix D - ASCII Chart Appendix E - Escape Sequences Index List of Figures List of Tables CD Content Back Cover Interactivity the unique feature that sets games apart from other forms of entertainment The power of interactivity lies in the programming that occurs behind the scenes If you’re ready to jump into the world of programming for games, Beginning C++ Game Programming will get you started on your journey, providing you with a solid foundation in the game programming language of the professionals As you cover each programming concept, you’ll create small games that demonstrate your new skills Wrap things up by combining each major concept to create an ambitious multiple player game Get ready to master the basics of game programming with C++! Get ready to explore: The fundamentals of C++ A standard game template library Generating random numbers to ad unpredictability to your games Object-oriented programming The game loop About the Author Michael Dawson has worked as a programmer and a computer game designer and producer In addition to real-world game industry experience, Dawson earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California Dawson currently teaches game programming and design to students of all ages through UCLA Extension courses and private lessons Beginning C++ Game Programming Michael Dawson Premier Press Copyright © 2004 Thomson Course Technology PTR All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission from Thomson Course Technology PTR, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review The Premier Press and Thomson Course Technology PTR logo and related trade dress are trademarks of Thomson Course Technology PTR and may not be used without written permission All trademarks are the property of their respective owners Important: Thomson Course Technology PTR cannot provide software support Please contact the appropriate software manufacturer's technical support line or Web site for assistance Thomson Course Technology PTR and the author have attempted throughout this book to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptive terms by following the capitalization style used by the manufacturer Information contained in this book has been obtained by Thomson Course Technology PTR from sources believed to be reliable However, because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by our sources, Thomson Course Technology PTR, or others, the Publisher does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or the results obtained from use of such information Readers should be particularly aware of the fact that the Internet is an ever-changing entity Some facts may have changed since this book went to press Educational facilities, companies, and organizations interested in multiple copies or licensing of this book should contact the publisher for quantity discount information Training manuals, CD-ROMs, and portions of this book are also available individually or can be tailored for specific needs 1-59200-205-6 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2004105652 04 05 06 07 08 BH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 THOMSON™ COURSE TECHNOLOGY Professional • Trade • Reference Thomson Course Technology PTR, a division of Thomson Course Technology 25 Thomson Place Boston, MA 02210 http://www.courseptr.com SVP, Thomson Course Technology PTR: Andy Shafran Publisher: Stacy L Hiquet Senior Marketing Manager: Sarah O'Donnell Marketing Manager: Heather Hurley Manager of Editorial Services: Heather Talbot Acquisitions Editor: Mitzi Koontz Associate Marketing Managers: Kristin Eisenzopf and Sarah Dubois Project Editor/Copy Editor: Cathleen D Snyder Technical Reviewer: Shawn Holmes Thomson Course Technology PTR Market Coordinator: Amanda Weaver Interior Layout Tech: Susan Honeywell Cover Designer: Steve Deschene CD-ROM Producer: Arlie Hartman Indexer: Katherine Stimson Proofreader: Gene Redding To my sweet, tough cookie—for all of the help, support, understanding (and distractions) you offered I love you, Keren Acknowledgments Every book you've ever read perpetuates a big fat lie And I'm here to out the publishing industry's dirty little secret—books are not "by" only one person Yes, you see only one name on book covers (including this one), but it takes a team of dedicated people to pull off the final product Authors could not do it alone; I certainly could not have done it alone So I want to thank all those who helped make this book a reality Thanks to Cathleen Snyder for her dual role as Project Editor and Copy Editor Cathleen kept things moving along She knew when to nudge and when to lay back On top of coordinating everything, she looked at the book from a reader's point of view, always striving to be sure things were clear Thanks to Shawn Holmes, my Technical Editor Shawn kept me honest and made sure my programs worked the way I said they did Thanks to Sue Honeywell, my Layout Tech, and Gene Redding, my Proofreader Their work makes the book look good—literally I also want to thank Mitzi Koontz, my Acquisitions Editor, for seeing the need for this book and having the will to move it forward when there was nothing out there quite like it Finally, I want to thank all of the game programmers who created the games I played while growing up They inspired me to work in the industry and create games of my own I hope I can inspire a few readers to do the same About the Author MICHAEL DAWSON has worked as both a programmer and a computer game designer and producer In addition to real-world game industry experience, Mike earned his bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California Mike currently teaches game programming and design to students of all ages through UCLA Extension courses and private lessons Visit his website at http://www.programgames.com to learn more or to get support for any of his books Introduction Cutting-edge computer games rival the best that Hollywood has to offer in visual effects, musical score, and pure adrenaline rush But games are a form of entertainment unlike any other; they can keep players glued to their monitors for hours on end What sets games apart and makes them so engrossing is interactivity In a computer game, you don't simply sit back and watch a hero fighting against all odds, you become the hero The key to achieving this interactivity is programming It's programming that allows an alien creature, an attack squadron, or an entire army to react differently to a player in different situations Through programming, a game's story can unfold in new ways In fact, as the result of programming, a game can respond to a player in ways that the game creators might never have imagined Although there are literally thousands of computer programming languages, C++ is the game industry standard If you were to wander the PC game section of your favorite store and grab a title at random, the odds are overwhelming that the game in your hand would be written largely or exclusively in C++ The bottom line is this: If you want to program computer games professionally, you must know C++ The goal of this book is to introduce you to the C++ language from a game programming perspective Although no single book can make you the master of two deep topics such as C++ and game programming, this book will start you on your journey Who This Book Is For This book is for anyone who wants to program games It's aimed at the total beginner and assumes no previous programming experience If you're comfortable using your computer, then you can start your game programming odyssey right here But just because this book is written for the beginner, that doesn't mean learning C++ and game programming will be easy You'll have to read, work, and experiment By the end of this book, you'll have a solid foundation in the game programming language of the professionals ... programming for games, Beginning C++ Game Programming will get you started on your journey, providing you with a solid foundation in the game programming language of the professionals As you cover each programming concept, you’ll create small... teaches game programming and design to students of all ages through UCLA Extension courses and private lessons Beginning C++ Game Programming Michael Dawson Premier Press Copyright © 2004 Thomson Course Technology PTR... offers better ways to do things and some brand-new capabilities, too Using C++ for Games C++ is the language of choice among game programmers Almost every published computer game is written using C++ There is a variety of reasons why game programmers choose the language