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About Global Variables

Started by reaptide Aug 24, 2000 at 7:07 PM 10 replies 850+ views

Original Post

Aug 24, 2000 at 7:07 PM

Hello everyone, I have a question about using global variables in a game. Usually what I do to store my globals is to create a source file with all my globals declared and initialized within it along with a header file with the same globals defined as externals. I then just include the header file wherever I want to use the globals. // Example.cpp int Global1 = 0; int Global2 = 0; int Global3 = 0; // Example.h extern int Global1; extern int Global2; extern int Global3; I was wondering if this is the most effective way to do this. I've asked a friend of mine and he thinks it's a perfectly acceptable way to handle globals. Any other opinions or alternate methods? Thanks, Reaptide Edited by - Reaptide on 8/24/00 7:10:56 PM

Quantum

Aug 25, 2000 at 12:27 AM

well thats the way i do it, and it works fine for me

Great Milenko

Aug 25, 2000 at 12:41 AM

heh well what I did was put them as extern in the header and stuff.. then decaler the vars at the top of the files that used them... ummm the most like...

Gfx.cpp

int ScreenWidth;
int ScreenHeight;
.
.
.

but I don''t do this any more... heh... I''m going total OOP =)

but anyways for now eather would work well =)

Great Milenko

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"Never Stick A Pretzel In Your Butt It Might Break Off In There."

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Aug 25, 2000 at 2:13 AM

You could also put your global variables into a structure like so:

class MY_GLOBALS_TAG
{
public:
INT iNum1;
INT iNum2;
}g;

g.iNum1 = 10;

Or something like that

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Edited by - JD on August 25, 2000 3:23:01 AM

Knarkles

Aug 25, 2000 at 2:20 AM

quote:
Original post by reaptide

I was wondering if this is the most effective way to do this. I''ve asked a friend of mine and he thinks it''s a perfectly acceptable way to handle globals.

Actually, it''s the only way.

-Jussi

Eck

Aug 25, 2000 at 9:33 AM

That''s what I do.

todderod

Aug 25, 2000 at 9:46 AM

You don''t need to give them the value 0, since globals are supposed to be of zero value anyway

And once more, if you ain''t doing it all OOP, then it is thw way to go, hehe

zedzeek

Aug 25, 2000 at 10:01 AM

r u sure globals are meant to be 0 anyways i would think they would be undefined (not certain but)

Kensai

Aug 25, 2000 at 12:34 PM

I could be missing something but what would be the point of a glabal if it had to be zero? Globals can be anything you want them to be.

Quantum

Aug 25, 2000 at 1:04 PM

yes you are missing something
they''re talking about the initialising of a global

Magicdude

Aug 25, 2000 at 1:22 PM

you could also use a namespace, so you dont pollute the global namespace, its basically a structure with things dumped in it.

    
namespace gamespace
{
   int global1;
   int global2;
   int global3;
};
[/source]

then you can use gamespace::global1 to refer to global1, or use the using keyword

[source]
using namespace gamespace;

global1 = 0;

Doctor Gonzo

Aug 25, 2000 at 2:05 PM

I''ve always been told it''s bad to use globals, but sometimes it''s the easiest and best way to do things. Putting globals in a structure is probably the best thing to do too. One thing I do sometimes to make sure my globals don''t get changed in other files is to extern it as const.
Also, isn''t it better to access a local variable rather than a global one?

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