| Focus On SDL is your key to writing programs faster and with greater ease. Execute the same applications as with DirectX, but with more versatility. SDL allows you to pack up your code and go! If you have a basic knowledge of C++, you're ready to roll. Dive into advanced topics such as alpha blending and overlays, or intensify your game audio with the SDL_mixer add-on library. This book teaches you how to write the code and then distribute it to various platforms. From setting up your system to incorporating networking and user interface components, Focus On SDL gives you the tools you need in one comprehensive guide.
I am a programmer who, after programming for about 13 years, suddenly had opportunity to write books. The one you are holding in your hands is the fourth book I have written. Moreover, I tend to be the author who picks the “odd little topics.” My other books include Isometric Game Programming with DirectX 7.0 (Premier Press, Inc. 0-7615-3089-4, 2001), the Game Developer’s Guide to the Cybiko (Wordware Publishing, 2001), and Focus On 2D in Direct3D (Premier Press, Inc., 2002).
After writing four books, I think I’ve learned my “style” of writing and how I approach various topics. I don’t make lots of very game-like demos when I’m talking about whatever API I happen to be writing about that month. Instead, I write very simple code that demonstrates a particular aspect of the API, so that the code for the new topic is easily isolated and understood by the readers.
I am also a very object-oriented programmer. When I write real code in C++, I use the three pillars of encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. Much of the code in this book is, as I call it, “book code.” Book code is a bit watered down and simplified to make it more understandable to readers with varying levels of experience. If I were to write code for a book the way I really write code, even I would have a hard time following it. |
