C++ For Game Programmers (Game Development Series)

This is indeed a good book. It gives you almost every important tips you ever need to know. After reading this book, if you're able to catch/grasp what the author is trying to convey, I'm sure that you'll have a few level-ups in your C++ skills. Although it stated for Game Programmers in the title, the tips and tricks can be applied to other application programming using C++ too. However, if you are looking for design patterns, this is not the book. It doesn't touch anything about design pattern as this is totally out of the scope. Also, if you are newbie in C++, perhaps you would like to read other C++ book first.

I have to admit, I did *know* a good portion of the material covered in the book, but I can now honestly say I truly *understand* it. As an industry outsider, looking to get in, its really nice to have so many concepts clearly and concisely explained, instead of just picking them up here and there. I have a collection of dozens of books on C++ and Game Programming, but its refreshing to finally find a work that explains relevant topics clearly without either going over my head or (to the other extreme) trying to sound too "hip" and coming across as amateurish. If you have a working knowledge of C++ and are looking to take the next step in applying your knowledge toward game-related concepts, this book is for you. Don't expect to learn the specifics of AI or game physics, or the latest pixel shader technology, that is not what the book is about. It covers the fundamentals of using C++ in game programming, and it covers them very well.

thats how useful i feel this book has been. i'm a games content coder, and this book has allowed me to expand on my base knowledge astronomically. if you already can code in c++, you just have no idea how it works under the hood, then this is the perfect book. it assumes you can code, it assumes you know the basics atleast of c++, and then it tells you exactly how all those wonderful features you use actually work. every chapter contains constant appraisals of the performance and efficency costs of every aspect of c++, the stuff thats really relevant for games coders.

This book is not about game programming. It is about using C++ effectively to write game code. It is for "Programmers" who use C++ to write game code. Just wanted to clear that up for some of you boneheads who were expecting some kind of graphics tutorial.Anyway, I devoured this book in a few days. It is written in the fasion of Scott Meyers indispensable "Effective C++" series. Noel explains what the compiler may or may not do for you. For instance, you may be surprised to learn that your inline functions may in fact not be inlined. Noel explains why and how to better your chances of getting your function truly inlined. If you are used to always writing copy constructors, Noel will show you when not to in game code. The breakdown of the virtual function table for an object with multiple inheritance was an eye opener. He also supplies a memory manager worth it's weight in gold! (How do you weigh code...?)Also covered are the STL, Abstract Interfaces (great for implementing your graphics pipeline in BOTH Direct X and OpenGL), Plug In's (very cool coverage) as well as implementing your own Run Time Type Checker you can use in your Linux code as well (MicroSoft's RTTI bytes).What Noel stresses throught the book is if your code is doing something a hundred thousand times each frame, you better know what it's really doing! The code snippets are perfect. They are not complete examples you can rip off and drop into your own code. But they do show you enough to make you say "Ah ha! Thats how its done." If you are a software engineer by profession, you will find yourself hurrying to work to see where you can improve that dog you are working on. I carry a book bag every day with 5 or 6 programming books that should be in every programmers library. This book is now one of them.Finally, if you want a sample of Noels writing, run out and pick up a copy of the April 2004 issue of "Game Developer" magazine and check out his article on "Optimizing the Content Pipeline."

I was pleased to find a book that deals specifically with programming games using C++. This is not a book that teaches you how to program an API such as DirectX; it's a book covering data structures and algorithms useful in game development. An intermediate to an advanced programmer may already know a lot of these techniques, but they are presented in the context of game development. Game programming presents many unique challenges of which this book covers fairly well. I like the book because it was written by a person with real experience developing commercial game engines. I do have one complaint though. Don't expect to find all of the source code mentioned in the book on the accompanying CD-ROM. Small code segments seem to be missing. Nonetheless, I did find several chapters that were well worth the read. Also, if you are rusty with polymorphism and inheritance, the book provides a fairly good review.