03.02 - Language Topic Requests

Hi there, I suggest you write an article with the most common data structures in game programming.

tks in advance

I turn pixels into gold!!

Dear Teej (or anyone who can clarify this),

If it isn''t too much trouble i would like someone to please clarify the differences between c and c++. I learned C++ instead of c and i am wondering if that was a mistake or if the languages are pretty much the same. I got a book about windows game programming and it looked all foreign because it was in c, now i don''t know if this is my imagination but if someone could help clarify this for me i would be greatly obliged.

C++ is actually just C made more robust, with more features to make it more object-oriented in programming style. If you code in C, it''ll work in C++. C++ adds more of an object-oriented thinking to programming in C, providing classes, most distinctly, and providing the ability to override functions and such.

Basically, when programming in C, you program from a procedural mindset. When you program in C++, you''re programming in an object oriented mindset. Most game programmers program in C because that''s the way it''s always been done since the dawn of C, and programmers that are set in their ways are difficult to change.

guess i pushed the button too much

Thanks Piotyr...however...should I learn C then or am i fine?

With C++, you should be just fine. Almost better off, in fact, since DirectX is quite the object-oriented API. Being able to understand basic C code would be useful, though, but I''m sure if anything is confusing, if you ask about it, there''ll be 20 replies within a day around here.

A good topic to the C Language forums would be a brief explanations on the Windows datatypes. I''m somewhat experienced with (Unix) C programming, but Windows seems to define a new datatype for everything. Could you brief on the most common ones?

Just for the record I would like a little more help on the data types used in C, As a VB programmer datatypes are clearer, I generally have used
integer
string
long
the most and unless it is a particular object not much else. The one data type in C that I am unsure about is byte. Does it hold a number or an ascii character value or have I got the wrong end of the stick.

One thing I think would be very interesting is a disscusion about various ways of implementing modules in c. In c++ you will classes but in c there are more choices.

BYTE it''s a var that holds a number btw -255 and 255 (+/-).

d00dzs

Actually, byte is usually just typedef''ed as an unsigned char. It''s an 8-bit number, basically, without sign.

So far, I''m liking the suggestions you''re throwing at me. A discussion of the difference between C and C++ definitely warrants attention. The whole concept of data types and storage requirements is another area that many people would benefit from.

As for modules in C, that''s definitely important. So much so, that it''ll be part of the actual forum series.

It also goes without saying that an article on pointers is mandatory, so there''s no need to ask for one -- I''m on it.

Teej

PS: 8 bits can hold 256 different values. The computer has no concept of positive or negative -- only which bits are on and off. It''s our choice on how we wish to view the set of bits. People use BYTE instead of unsigned char (even though it''s really the same thing) because they''re showing what their intent is with the 8 bits of memory. If I call my 8 bits BYTE, it should tell the reader that I''m using it generically, for instance.

Hey Teej!
I would like to see an artical dealing with Visual C++ and its interface as I have only delt with python wich is interpreted and lpc on a mud and have never delt with a compiler before. Would help me tons and hopefully there are other people on this forum that would benifit from it too!
Thanks =D

Aye, here are some C/C++ topics I'd like to see, some of which aforementioned:
Basic C/C++ data types (their capabilities, typical sizes, etc)

Windows-specific typedef-ed types (ie. DWORD, HRESULT, etc.), what they typedef and what they hold

OOP article! The ins and outs of writing classes, using templates, and things like that....stuff I want to learn more about!


Anyways, I'm enjoying the articles...thanks =o)

(o= erydo =o)


^{Edited by - cliffhawkens on April 11, 2001 12:52:40 AM}

Agreed w/ the above request about windows types (dword, hresult)

I know c++ (console) fairly well but am at the point of where to go next.

so for me some selected topics might be.

Templates
Win32 basics (how to get the game window up)
User Interface - sampling inputs
Sprites & Basic Graphics
2d Animation
Vectors & 3d Graphics
Portals & Engines
Terrain generation
Collision & Boundary Algorithms
Sound
3d Model importation form 3rd party (ie lw6 or 3dsmax)
How to animate the imported 3d model

i''m sure i will think of more as soon as i hit "Reply to Topic"



-------------------------------------------------------
May your bugs be few and your food plentiful.

For those of you who have questions about Win32 basics (especially if you want to know a bit more than is in the scope of this tutorial), I highly recommend the following tutorial:

theForger''s Windows API Programming Tutorial

It definitely helped me out a lot.

those weird windows-types are usually just shorthands for normal C/C++ datatypes, you can look them up the windows-headers

in MSVC++ 6.0 right-click on anything and choose ''goto definition of ...''

Hi everyone,

First of all thanks for the answers to my previous questions, I was looking over the topic request and thought of some topics that may help other people. I understand function and operator overloading though some others may not be aware of it if they are new to C++. The other topic that always gets a lot of people including me sometimes is the ugly face of operator precedence.

how about:
heap vs. stack memory
basic assembly language and how to call it from a c program


that''s all i can think of for now,
-j