C++ for Game Programmers

C++ for Game Programmers, second edition is a completely updated and expanded edition of this best-selling reference. As with the first edition, the book is not intended to replace foundational C++ books and reference material: instead, it supplements them by putting everything into perspective from a game-development point of view. The book points out the most effective C++ practices and steers you away from the potentially dangerous ones. It describes common C++ techniques to solve specific problems most game developers face.

The second edition includes a wide variety of new, improved examples and illustrations, while preserving the core material from inheritance, performance, memory management, and STL to object creation, object serialization, and scripting languages. In addition, three new chapters have been added to meet the needs of today's game programmers. The first new chapter, C++ Design Patterns, covers the high-level problem-solving constructs that are most commonly found in games and other interactive applications. After the introductory chapters on the Standard Template Library, you'll find a new chapter, Beyond STL: Custom Structures and Algorithms, which provides a detailed hands-on discussion of using C++ to create efficient solutions to difficult problems in a highly structured manner. Finally, the new C++ and Scripting chapter covers the ever-increasing use of embedded scripting languages and the many ways scripting can increase productivity without compromising the power and philosophy of C++.

This new edition will serve the needs of game programmers better than ever, and provide those who are new to C++ or new to game development with the techniques they need to get up and running quickly.

Features

• Includes 3 all new chapters on C++ Design Patterns, Beyond STL, and C++ & Scripting
• Covers a variety of useful tools and plug-ins including MemoryMgr, RTTI, and ObjectFactory
• Provides a new appendix with C++ resources
• Includes improved and expanded sections on component architecture, and physical program organization
• Comes with a companion CD-ROM with source code for the more complex programs covered

On the CD

Source code demonstrating complex concepts covered

• MemoryMgr - fully implemented memory manager and a small test application
• Plugins - a simple Win32 application with plug-ins
• RTTI - a custom runtime type information system
• RTTIMulti - a variation on the previous custom runtime type information system
• ObjectFactory - a templatized object factory for game entities
• Serialization - a very simple implementation that serializes a full game-entity tree to disk and loads it back