Starting game programming

#1 Well, if you want to learn C++, I would recommend Michael Prata's ANSI C++ Primer Plus or Ivort Horton's Beginning C++. Both are great learning texts. The Deitel and Deitel texts are nicely comprehensive (though no more than the other recommendations) but horribly organized and should only be used in a classroom setting with a competent instructor.

Then move on to game programming. Learning both is a huge undertaking, and often you will run into the chicken and the egg problem of desire versus experience.

#2 Personally, I like the Jamsa's C/C++ Programmer's Bible. I know it's a bit oldschool, but it has absolutely none of the fluff and nonsense that gets repeated in the first 4-6 chapters of every other coding book.

One warning, the book is laid out to learn a decent chunk of C before it even touches C++, and when it does, the fundamentals of Object Oriented Programming (OOP) aren't very well explained. Granted, my copy of the book was purchased 10 years ago, so things may have changed since.

#3 Thanks for the comments. I've been thinking of buying TGE just because i could just screw around with it and try to learn C++ without just reading it but doing it along with learning C++

#4 Are there any online tuts on C++ that any of you found that i might be able to learn from? Cause right now i don't think i'm ready to spend more money on C++ books. If i have to buy C++ books to learn it then i will but if i can learn it from online i would like that better lol.

#5 I would suggest taking a class from your local community college. I say this for three reasons: 1) you have someone showing it to you, 2) you have someone making you work on it, and 3) you have someone you can ask for help.

#6 Lol but i'm not in college more like highschool lol.

#7 So? You can probably still sign up and take classes at the community college. Lots of high school kids are taking college courses these days. Or have your mom audit the class and you go instead. Go talk to the instructor and see what they can do.

#8 I think i might know a bit C++. Heres an example if someone tell me if thats not how its done. Such as if you wanted the water to splash you would use the if statements and use the torgue source code to implement the splash if the player would go into the water the water would make a splash but if they don't go in the water there would be no splash from the water.

P.S.-Having trouble trying to find the right DirectX 8 or higher and not for sure which one i need to download cause it says you need it for the torgue engine.
Thanks,
Tyler

#9 Just download the latest DirectX version. Make sure your video drivers are up to date, too.

There's a bit more to it than that. You could set up water splashing well outside of the C++ engine (you have a number of handy pieces to the player datablocks). Of course, if you wanted to implement accurate caustics, then you'd need to go to the source and change how waterblocks interact with collisions in special cases.

#10 But the what i made an example of is that on the right path? Also there is directx sdk and end user and i don't know which one i'll need. I don't think i need a sdk for using torgue game engine or do i need?

#11 You shouldn't but if you want to use TGEA or XNA, you'll need the SDK.

EDIT:
Though I have it installed, so I'm not sure if you need it or not. I do not believe so, though.

#12 Ok well I've been reading things about C++ and I get it pretty well but I cannot understand on how I can make my own programs with C++ even though i understand IF statements and some other things..am I not suppose to understand how to write programs even after learning C++ or I must not know the whole concept of C++ then? Because right now I'm thinking of just buying a book for the heck of it but I'm just hoping I buy one that teaches the basics and gives you the jist of how to write your own programs using what you learned.

#13 @Tyler: I'm going to repeat what I said months ago: sign up for a C++ class at your local community college. Lots of high school kids are taking college courses these days. Try talking to teachers and counselors in your school about it and the instructor at the community college to see what they can do, they can be quite helpful. The instructor might just allow you to sit in without signing up. Failing that, have your mom or dad audit the class and you go instead.

#14 I have been actuallly searching through the only community college in the town for any classes in computer languages and there is none that they have teach right now....also its a small town and only thing they really they teach is the basic things of how to even run computers and some programs like microsoft word and other things.

Just checked their website again to make sure and they do not teach any computer languages just concepts of the computer and just mostly the basic things like microsoft word and other things like that.

#15 If that's the case, then Ivor Horton's Beginning C++ would be a good start. It is well-laid out for classroom instruction as well as self instruction. It's one of the best I've seen for starting cold in the C++ world.

The only way to learn to program your own programs, no matter how big or how small, how simple or how complex, is to program. Going through the exercises in the book will help with that. Going through the exercise sections at the end of the chapters will take you even further. Once you've gone through the book and done the exercises you should feel much more confident with your programming ability. This doesn't mean you'll be able to read complex source bases, though. You may know the code, but that doesn't mean you'll get the algorithms that are present. While you can get the how of the code structure, the why can be extremely elusive. Especially if you are looking at code created by proficient C++ programmers who have been doing it for a long time and have a long history of algorithm research and implementation.

Once you get one language, others are easy to pick up.

#16 Ok I've been looking at Ivor Horton's Beginning C++ and probably take a good look at it and probably buy it. Thank you.

Also its pretty sad is that the college doesn't have courses for it but the highschool does but you can't take C++ until your a junior or senior I believe.

#17 It does suck that your local community college doesn't have anything to offer. Are there any local colleges or universities you could try? Also, you might try talking to your counselor, the principal and the teacher for the courses in your high school. It can't hurt to ask to get into those classes early and get your parents involved if possible (parents contacting the principal can help a lot). Teachers and counselors can be influenced a lot by a motivated student. Exceptions can be made to get you into those classes.

I haven't read Ivor Horton's Beginning C++, but looking at it on Amazon (and reading the reviews) it looks good. Also, there is an edition for Visual C++ 2005 (and maybe newer editions of Visual C++) that might work well with the Visual C++ Express edition that you might want to use considering it is free from Microsoft.

I also saw one book on Amazon that dealt specifically with the Visual C++ Express edition.

Some other books I'll recommend:

C++ Programming Language, The (3rd Edition) (Paperback) by Bjarne Stroustrup - The definitive guide from the creator of C++. I learned to program in C from the original K&R "The C Programming Language" and C++ from the original "C++ Programming Language" by Bjarne Stroustrup (which was much smaller than the current edition, more the size of the "The C Programming Language", much less to learn then ;).

Effective C++: 55 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs by Scott Meyers. Great book. Scott Meyers is a smart guy that knows his stuff about programming and C++.

I'll second David's advice about learning to program by programming. The only way to learn programming is to program.

#18 Ok sounds good, it sounds that these books tell you and not just give you code to understand and just type.