Beginning C++ Through Game Programming

When I first read the title I thought I was going to program small simple games like tic tac toe with a GUI, but when reading this book I realized that everything is a WIN32 project and nothing to do with GUI'S at all, which makes this book, not so much game programming as I thought it would be. Yes there are still games that you can create through the Command Line such as guessing a number games but nothing that is actually a game with a GUI. If your looking for GUI programming then this is not the book for you. If your looking for an introduction on C++ keep reading. As I was reading this book I noticed that this book is a great tutorial, me programing in other languages for school such as C and Visual Basic and Java, I already knew the concept of strings, integers arrays and more that is in this book. But what this book did is it broke it down and explained what strings, integers arrays do in a non boring way which made this book fun to read. The way it was written and how it was explained actually taught me a few things about Loops and how to code in C++. I like this book a lot even as a beginning C++ book because it shows me what wording I need to use in C++ to declare substrings and more, and it explains a lot about strings which other books do not cover. I would suggest this book to someone way before they bought any other book even if they have never programmed before because it will break it down thoroughly and explain it to you in a way that you might actually learn a thing or too. I have the kindle version and the code is easy to read and he does tell you where you can download the code before he even shows you the code. He also shows you the outcome before the code which I think is better because I like to try to figure out how to get his outcome without looking at his code. Then I compare my code to his. (But thats just my opinion) Anyway this book is a book I would buy so you can learn C++ even if you have programmed other languages before.

Yes, the book is authored in a way that goes straight to the point, and is learning in an easy and enjoyable way. Effort is needed from the Student, of course. C++ is not an easy to learn programming language(it takes you to all the object-oriented thing and force you to go in that direction)and this is not the first C++ learning book that I've bought and many times they are so obscure and written in a doomed long clauses and sub-clauses that you even wonder if you are reading english anymore or a book from a distinc language that is no what you would call normal English and tend to be confussing and even when that books go further on theory, at the second chapter you are lost in between such dark concepts; Michael Dawson goes the contrary way, and I write this because I don't like when computer experts try to sound too complicatad and there are a lot out there, believe me. (I send the obscure ones to the public library where no matter how, they will find their road to be useful to someone , but as I have had and I still keep the good ones with me, this book is the best of its genre by far, but you must keep in mind that it teatches you what is intended, that is to programm games, not other kind of work. Michael Dawson uses a clear and natural language without large clauses who would have fall into the zone of failing to explain what he is so good to do at: teaching you C++. The point is that sometimes I have acquired books with so a twisted, verborreic style that you were unable to form a frame on what the author was talking about (It has happened me three times, with Java-related books. So that if you want to go straight on and start studying and hard-working on C++ this is your book.

I am a beginner, but already this book is full of dog ears and is getting a real beating as I take it with me everywhere. In other words, it's actually useful and has some great examples, not just of C++ code and how it works and how to use it, but every single example in the book has something to do with games. Just the section on random number generation alone is worth the price of admission, in my opinion, because it's a topic that is rarely covered in regular C++ programming books, however it's pretty much mandatory for games. Other topics include keeping track of a player's inventory using arrays, keeping track of units on the battlefield using vectors, and using iterators to manipulate data in arrays and vectors. It also goes into functions, parameters, classes and derivation and polymorphism. The book starts off with your typical "Hello World!" app, but in this case it's the "Game Over!" app. While the first chapter is really easy, the author wastes no time in ramping up the complexity, throwing more and more concepts at you and by 1/3 of the way through the book, you really have to think and practice to keep up - if you are a beginner like me - but the effort is worthwhile. You may actually use some of the code in your own game, and you WILL learn the fundamentals of C++. The last chapter takes EVERYTHING you learned in the previous chapters and puts it all into one game: BlackJack. It's more complicated than you might think, and that is good!) However, the book does have some drawbacks. Namely it's a beginning C++ book. There is no mention of mice, game controllers, 2d graphics, 3d graphics, OpenGL, DirectX, game engines, or the like. Also, there isn't any mention of how to save or retrieve files and data from a hard drive. All of the applications are console applications (basically a DOS-like window) so you are going to have to learn a lot more if you want to do games with any kind of graphics. Also, there is a appendix on how to set up your IDE and compiler, but it's not in the main text. (It takes a bit of work, but you'll get it). Having said that, it is what it is, and what it is it does very well. You won't walk away from this book saying you didn't get a full primer on C++ that is directly applicable to game design. (The logic behind the graphics!) The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it doesn't go into saving or retrieving files, but other than that it's an excellent book to get you up to speed with real C++. (Call it 4 1/2 stars. Bottom line: it's worth the money)

I purchased this book on 5/24/11 and ever since I received it I just couldn't put it down. From the very first chapter to the last the book kept me engaged in actively learning C++ using game like terms that I could understand and follow along easily. I do agree with many posts about Chapters 9 and 10 being too short, but they do deliver on teaching you inheritance and polymorphism. You may need to go back over Chapter 8 if you do not understand what Classes are, after that you'll easily absorb the information in the next 2 chapters. I enjoyed the exercises at the end of each chapter; it helped me to reinforce what I learned in the chapter. I completed all of them; I did have issues on the latter exercises and found that taking notes on the key topics really helped in the end. (I made myself a quick reference guide for the book.) I was completely new to C++ but taught myself PHP and in many regards I found that knowing PHP helped me with the syntax in C++. If you plan on purchasing this book it is well worth the cost, and you'll be on your way with making console applications. I knew ahead of my purchase that this book wouldn't be giving you 3d games in the end or even a game at all, so do know beforehand you're learning C++ using objects you'd be familiar with if you play games. NOT making a game. :) The book does go over a few basic games like Critter Caretaker, Tic-Tac-Toe, and in the very end Blackjack. But these are only examples of using what you learn from the book, and furthermore reinforcing your knowledge of C++. Have fun with the book and take it slowly as you learn, I would recommend taking notes for each chapter.

I actually liked the book, but it clearly has problems. Sometimes the order it presents things in is curious. There are few actually games, most of it is standard examples, but instead of using "Hello World" or some explicitly mathematical example, he dresses it up in "game" talk (so, "I will destroy you" instead of "Hello World", etc.). Very few of the examples are interactive, which is kind of what you'd expect a game to be. It also tends to be a bit too dense and quick for true beginners. There are few exercises too. All that being said, it is somewhat useful, but not if you're an absolute beginner to C based languages. Even though it says "Beginning", it seems to assume you know some basic things and terminology, even while it's explaining those same things. However, if you already know the basics of variable types, logic, etc. (basic programming stuff), and you want quick exposure to the syntax of C++ and the concepts of object oriented programming, this book is pretty good. So if you're an absolute beginner, I'd suggest some intro book on C, like "Programming in C" by Kochan. After you've finished that book, you can skip the entire sections for variables, logic, and pointers, and the rest will be a quick read (as in, a day or two). Unfortunately, it's a bit restricted (it doesn't cover multiple inheritance, and if it weren't for Kochan's book, I wouldn't know anything about the preprocessor or binary operations). It's problem is that it works best for a very specific and strange level of experience: those who have a basic grasp of programming concepts, but need something to transition them into preparation for an intermediate level of programming. So anyway, don't let the "Beginning" or "Game" buzzwords fool you, there are better books for those wet behind the ears.

Worm Burner, age 10 and resident Tech Support, asked if I would teach him C++ this summer. Sure, no problem. Except that the last time I used C++ was during my Ph.D. dissertation and my summer plans did not include hours in front of the terminal re-learning how to program. I highly recommend Beginning C++ through Game Programming, by Michael Dawson. This book is great for beginning programmers, especially if they have some previous programming experience (Worm Burner had already programmed in QBasic on Windows). Even if they had no previous experience, this book would walk them step-by-step through concepts like variables, input/output, loops, strings, and arrays. Best of all, it uses game example programs like Word Jumble, Mad Lib, and Tic-Tac-Toe to hook kids into figuring out the logic behind programming and applying their nascent C++ skills in a way that's fun and entertaining. Note that this book is not intended for children. It just has a great easy-to-use format and style that lends itself to children who are advanced readers and budding programming geeks. But the programming itself is all solid C++. In other words, they're learning the real deal. The best part about this book was that I just had to get my boys started with the first few chapters. We sat down, walked through the lessons, uploaded and changed sample code, and played around a bit. After chapter 4, they carried on without me, teaching themselves (via the book) and leaping to new heights with their programming through their own initiative. Which is how every good programmer gets his start. If you have a budding hacker programmer in your house, here's how to get them started: 1) Download Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 (free) 2) Buy Beginning C++ through Game Programming 3) Help your kids start (if you know some programming) or let them loose on their own (if you don't)

Good Book

Shows you how to make a game and learn programming language

Ben fatto e chiaro, anche piacevole da leggere direi. Ma si deve tenere conto di un paio di cose: 1) è una guida per principianti che non conoscono niente di c++, non viene illustrata nessuna libreria avanzata ma copre comunque gli argomenti più importanti (puntatori, oop, heap); 2) con questo libro non s'impara a creare videogiochi in c++, quanto s'impara le basi di c++ all'interno del contesto “fare videogiochi” (preso molto alla larga); 3) Gli esempi sono terra-terra, corti, semplici, che svolgono solo lo scopo di spiegare i concetti espressi. Output solo testuale, niente di grafico o disegnato. Quindi non si può certo parlare di contesti reali. Ma dopotutto, nel mondo reale ci fai ben poco con le basi di un linguaggio, quindi va bene così... Un buon modo per imparare i rudimenti di c++, senza troppe pretese.

I was surprised that the book is about text-based games, not graphics games!

El libro está muy bien, aunque quizá confunde un poco el título. En realidad cumple a medias porque enseña C++ a nivel muy básico través de juegos realmente muy sencillos. Sin embargo, precisamente por el hecho de que los ejemplos son videojuegos (o algo relacionado con ellos), en mi caso al menos, ha conseguido que mantenga la atención. Si lo que buscas es un libro para aprender a programar a nivel básico en C++, perfecto. Si lo que quieres es aprender los conceptos básicos de un videojuego, perfecto. Pero si lo que quieres es hacer un videojuego con gráficos, sonido y características de alto nivel, olvídate.

Aproveitem enquanto tem.

I found this book very simplistic and very good for beginners and easy to understand Raj Samarakoon