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  • Are there any useless language features in the C or C++ language? [closed]

    - by ThePlan
    As a beginner I often found myself saying "This is so useless. How can this ever help me?" only to find out later on that it is essential and I was a fool. The moral, however, tends to be that the C or the C++ language are perfect and they contain nothing of no-use to programmers. I'm asking this question for 2 reasons: out of pure curiosity and so that I may know what not to learn. In a nutshell - are there any useless language features in the C or the C++ language, which good programmers almost never use? It would also be of great help if you would mention weather they are a bad practice when used or just purely useless.

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  • How do you pack resources in a game when you have too many of them?

    - by ThePlan
    I've recently made a basic space invaders clone in C++ using the Allegro 5 framework. It took me a long time, but after I finished, I realized I had about 10 sprites, and 13MB worth of DLLs (Some of the people didn't even have the mingW dlls) which were making people who played the game very confused. How can I "pack" all my resources in a way that I can easily add-remove data to my game, and to reduce the size taken by the resource, basically placing them in 1 spot? I'm using codeblocks.

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  • Does SFML render graphics outside the window?

    - by ThePlan
    While working on a tile-based map I figured it would be a good idea if I would only render what the player sees on the game window, but then it occurred to me that SFML could already be optimized enough to know when it doesn't have to render those things. Let's say I draw a 30x30 squared maps (A medium one) but the player only sees a bunch of them, not entirely. Would SFML automatically hide what the player doesn't see, or should I hide it myself?

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  • How do you set up PhysFS for use in a game?

    - by ThePlan
    After my recent question on GD I've been advised to use PhysFS to pack all my game data in 1 file. So I have, and the decission wasn't light, because I've tried out every library in my answers but none contained a single good tutorial whatsoever, in fact PhysFS is the poorest documented library I've ever seen. After attempting to set up PhysFS in my game I realized it's not as simple as adding the headers to the project, it appears something much more complicated, in fact after my first attempt to install PhysFS the compiler ran out of memory to display errors, it reached the critical count of 50 errors. So basically what I'm asking here is: How can I set up PhysFS on my game? I'm using Code::Blocks IDE on Windows XP SP3;

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  • Why do "Joke" programming languages exist? [closed]

    - by ThePlan
    First of all please be aware this post contains some abusive language but I hope it will not bother anyone. I apologize for the bad language but that's what the name is. As I've been doing documentation on existing programming languages attempting to make a complete list of them I stumbled across terrible programming languages, which were clearly not made for actual use and implementation due to their insane difficulty. Languages such as Brainfu*k and LOLCODE or Whitespace are fool languages because they have no real use. For example, a "Hello world" program written in BrainFu*k. Taken from Wikipedia: The following program prints "Hello World!" and a newline to the screen: +++++ +++++ initialize counter (cell #0) to 10 [ use loop to set the next four cells to 70/100/30/10 > +++++ ++ add 7 to cell #1 > +++++ +++++ add 10 to cell #2 > +++ add 3 to cell #3 > + add 1 to cell #4 <<<< - decrement counter (cell #0) ] > ++ . print 'H' > + . print 'e' +++++ ++ . print 'l' . print 'l' +++ . print 'o' > ++ . print ' ' << +++++ +++++ +++++ . print 'W' > . print 'o' +++ . print 'r' ----- - . print 'l' ----- --- . print 'd' > + . print '!' > . print '\n' or another example taken from LOLCODE language: HAI CAN HAS STDIO? PLZ OPEN FILE "LOLCATS.TXT"? AWSUM THX VISIBLE FILE O NOES INVISIBLE "ERROR!" KTHXBYE These languages are very difficult to learn/read/work with. My question is - Why do they exist? What is the purpose of them? Also, is there an official "name" for these type of languages?

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  • Is it a good practice to use smaller data types for variables to save memory?

    - by ThePlan
    When I learned the C++ language for the first time I learned that besides int, float etc, smaller or bigger versions of these data types existed within the language. For example I could call a variable x int x; or short int x; The main difference being that short int takes 2 bytes of memory while int takes 4 bytes, and short int has a lesser value, but we could also call this to make it even smaller: int x; short int x; unsigned short int x; which is even more restrictive. My question here is if it's a good practice to use separate data types according to what values your variable take within the program. Is it a good idea to always declare variables according to these data types?

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  • Space invaders clone not moving properly

    - by ThePlan
    I'm trying to make a basic space invaders clone in allegro 5, I've got my game set up, basic events and such, here is the code: #include <allegro5/allegro.h> #include <allegro5/allegro_image.h> #include <allegro5/allegro_primitives.h> #include <allegro5/allegro_font.h> #include <allegro5/allegro_ttf.h> #include "Entity.h" // GLOBALS ========================================== const int width = 500; const int height = 500; const int imgsize = 3; bool key[5] = {false, false, false, false, false}; bool running = true; bool draw = true; // FUNCTIONS ======================================== void initSpaceship(Spaceship &ship); void moveSpaceshipRight(Spaceship &ship); void moveSpaceshipLeft(Spaceship &ship); void initInvader(Invader &invader); void moveInvaderRight(Invader &invader); void moveInvaderLeft(Invader &invader); void initBullet(Bullet &bullet); void fireBullet(); void doCollision(); void updateInvaders(); void drawText(); enum key_t { UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, SPACE }; enum source_t { INVADER, DEFENDER }; int main(void) { if(!al_init()) { return -1; } Spaceship ship; Invader invader; Bullet bullet; al_init_image_addon(); al_install_keyboard(); al_init_font_addon(); al_init_ttf_addon(); ALLEGRO_DISPLAY *display = al_create_display(width, height); ALLEGRO_EVENT_QUEUE *event_queue = al_create_event_queue(); ALLEGRO_TIMER *timer = al_create_timer(1.0 / 60); ALLEGRO_BITMAP *images[imgsize]; ALLEGRO_FONT *font1 = al_load_font("arial.ttf", 20, 0); al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_keyboard_event_source()); al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_display_event_source(display)); al_register_event_source(event_queue, al_get_timer_event_source(timer)); images[0] = al_load_bitmap("defender.bmp"); images[1] = al_load_bitmap("invader.bmp"); images[2] = al_load_bitmap("explosion.bmp"); al_convert_mask_to_alpha(images[0], al_map_rgb(0, 0, 0)); al_convert_mask_to_alpha(images[1], al_map_rgb(0, 0, 0)); al_convert_mask_to_alpha(images[2], al_map_rgb(0, 0, 0)); initSpaceship(ship); initBullet(bullet); initInvader(invader); al_start_timer(timer); while(running) { ALLEGRO_EVENT ev; al_wait_for_event(event_queue, &ev); if(ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_TIMER) { draw = true; if(key[RIGHT] == true) moveSpaceshipRight(ship); if(key[LEFT] == true) moveSpaceshipLeft(ship); } else if(ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_DISPLAY_CLOSE) running = false; else if(ev.type == ALLEGRO_EVENT_KEY_DOWN) { switch(ev.keyboard.keycode) { case ALLEGRO_KEY_ESCAPE: running = false; break; case ALLEGRO_KEY_LEFT: key[LEFT] = true; break; case ALLEGRO_KEY_RIGHT: key[RIGHT] = true; break; case ALLEGRO_KEY_SPACE: key[SPACE] = true; break; } } else if(ev.type == ALLEGRO_KEY_UP) { switch(ev.keyboard.keycode) { case ALLEGRO_KEY_LEFT: key[LEFT] = false; break; case ALLEGRO_KEY_RIGHT: key[RIGHT] = false; break; case ALLEGRO_KEY_SPACE: key[SPACE] = false; break; } } if(draw && al_is_event_queue_empty(event_queue)) { draw = false; al_draw_bitmap(images[0], ship.pos_x, ship.pos_y, 0); al_flip_display(); al_clear_to_color(al_map_rgb(0, 0, 0)); } } al_destroy_font(font1); al_destroy_event_queue(event_queue); al_destroy_timer(timer); for(int i = 0; i < imgsize; i++) al_destroy_bitmap(images[i]); al_destroy_display(display); } // FUNCTION LOGIC ====================================== void initSpaceship(Spaceship &ship) { ship.lives = 3; ship.speed = 2; ship.pos_x = width / 2; ship.pos_y = height - 20; } void initInvader(Invader &invader) { invader.health = 100; invader.count = 40; invader.speed = 0.5; invader.pos_x = 300; invader.pos_y = 300; } void initBullet(Bullet &bullet) { bullet.speed = 10; } void moveSpaceshipRight(Spaceship &ship) { ship.pos_x += ship.speed; if(ship.pos_x >= width) ship.pos_x = width-30; } void moveSpaceshipLeft(Spaceship &ship) { ship.pos_x -= ship.speed; if(ship.pos_x <= 0) ship.pos_x = 0+30; } However it's not behaving the way I want it to behave, in fact the behavior for the ship movement is un-normal. Basically I specified that the ship only moves when the right/left key is down, however the ship is moving constantly to the direction of the key pressed, it never stops although it should only move while my key is down. Even more weird behavior, when I press the opposite key the ship completely stops no matter what else I press. What's wrong with the code? Why does the ship move constantly even after I specified it only moves when a key is down?

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  • What was the first programming language written for computers?

    - by ThePlan
    Looking at so many programming languages we have today, each one being unique in it's own way, I've tried to figure out what the first programming language written for computers is. Looking at the release date for the popular ones I got somewhat close but I didn't look at less obvious ones, programming languages which are either dead or very little use nowadays. Fortran is the closest thing I got but I don't know if it's real. In a nutshell: What was the first programming language written for computers? Are there any languages that derived from that language?

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  • How can I ease the work of getting pixel coordinates from a spritesheet?

    - by ThePlan
    When it comes to spritesheets they're usually easier to use, and they're very efficient memory-wise, but the problem that I'm always having is getting the actual position of a sprite from a sheet. Usually, I have to throw in some aproximated values and modify them several times until I get it right. My question: is there a tool which can basically show you the coordinates of the mouse relative to the image you have opened? Or is there a simpler method of getting the exact rectangle that the sprite is contained in?

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  • How can I write data to a file that users can't easily edit?

    - by ThePlan
    While working on game saving and loading I figured I could just write all the variable values to a file and then load that file from it's default location anytime. However from the very beginning it sounded like an odd job. I know about serialization and boost, but that seems so complicated, I figured I'd keep it simple, but I've ran across this huge issue: No matter what file I can write with C++, the user can get their hands on it, they can edit their position, they can remove a boss, or add new weapons for themselves. My question here is: How can I create a file in C++ which cannot be editted or openned with a text editor such as Notepad (I'm not trying to make a file which is impossible to open, but a file which will give the user a headache if he tries to edit it through usual methods.)

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  • Notable programs/games made in C/C++/Java/Python? [closed]

    - by ThePlan
    What are some famous programs or video games that were written in the following languages? C C++ Java Python I'm asking this particularly so I know how powerful impact did those languages have on our lives. I believe Windows was also written in C/C++ but I'm not sure if fully. Also if you are kind enough you can mention some other language impacts besides programs/video games. These languages are by far the most common so that's why I've picked them. Besides the impact on our lives I'd also like to see the power these languages have. I'm studying programming and I've learned bits of all those languages and I think if I knew some famous examples of programs written in those languages I could understand the power of them, as well as inspire me further in my career.

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  • How can you represent equip-able items in a 2d game?

    - by ThePlan
    I've been working on an item system for a post-apocalyptic RPG, with diablo as inspiration, and it would be awesome if I could visually represent an item that can be equipped on the player sprite. I was thinking you could have a player sprite with certain animations, then the equipped item would be drawn as if it was on the player with the same animations, so it syncs with the player animations but that couldn't work very smoothly, I imagine there's a better system. How can you graphically represent an item worn on the player, which moves like he does, and looks as if he's wearing it? I'm not asking you how to do it in framework X or platform X (altho if you REALLY need it, I'm using Allegro 5 with codeblocks on win XP) but instead I'm asking you how to generally program such an idea.

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  • Is it unprofessional to leave game resources to the open eye?

    - by ThePlan
    I'm still having problems packing my resources, after going through complicated APIs and basically just zip files which are exhausting my brain, I thought I could also pack the game with the resources visible to the human eye, in a simple folder. Would that be unprofessional? Personally, I've never even seen games do that, it would basically mean that the player could just edit whatever he wants in the game, like go in map1.txt and add an X somewhere to create a wall, or change the player sprite to a pony in MS PAINT.

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  • Do you need expensive servers and fancy hosting in order to make a multiplayer game?

    - by ThePlan
    I've finished working on an RPG and it would seem so much more fun to make it multiplayer. SFML has a networking feature, I figured it's possible but then again, never in my life have I even tried something basic about networking, in fact my knowledge of it is very limited. What would it take to make a multiplayer game resource-wise? I'm not talking about an MMO, more like a co-op type of game. Do I need mountains of cash to pay for hosting and servers and many many things to make one?

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  • How can you easily determine the textureRect for tiled maps in SFML 2.0?

    - by ThePlan
    I'm working on creating a 2d map prototype, and I've come across the rendering bit of it. I have a tilesheet with tiles, each tile is 30x30 pixels, and there's a 1px border to delimitate them. In SFML the usual method of drawing a part of a tilesheet is declaring an IntRect with the rectangle coordinates then calling the setTextureRectangle() method to a sprite. In a small game it would work, but I have well over 45 tiles and adding more every day, I can't declare 45 intRects for every material, the map is not optimized yet, it would get even worse if I would have to call the setTextureRect() method, aside from declaring 45 rectangleInts. How could I simplify this task? All I need is a very simple and flexible solution for extracting a region of the tilesheet. Basically I have a Tile class. I create multiple instances of tiles (vectors) and each tile has a position and a material. I parse a map file and as I parse it I set the materials of the map according to the parsed map file, and all I need to do is render. Basically I need to do something like this: switch(tile.getMaterial()) { case GRASS: material_sprite.setTextureRect(something); window.draw(material_sprite); break; case WATER: material_sprite.setTextureRect(something); window.draw(material_sprite); break; // handle more cases }

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  • How do I know if I've gone too far with processing things in a game?

    - by ThePlan
    A common programming quote I see every day is: Premature optimization is the root of all evil! I admit I'm one of those guys that like to do premature optimization in a pretty obssessive manner but that's probably because I'm not aware how powerful modern processors are. I can think of lots of sollutions for a problem, but all of them are tough on the memory side, and I keep thinking "This will hurt me more in the future when I'll have to re-do it because it's bad performance-wise." How do you know when the code you are thinking of is going too far and is not a case of premature optimization? How much can your game handle at a time before performance becomes a problem?

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  • How can you put all images from a game to 1 file?

    - by ThePlan
    I've just finished a basic RPG game written in C++ SFML, I've put a lot of effort into the game and I'd want to distribute it, however I've ran into a small issue. Problem is, I have well over 200 images and map files (they're .txt files which hold map codes) all in the same folder as the executable, when I look in the folder, it makes me want to cry a little bit seeing so many resources, I've never seen a game which shows you all the resources directly, instead I believe they pack the resources in a certain file. Well, that's what I'm trying to achieve: I'm hoping to pack all the images in 1 file (Maybe the .txt files as well) then being able to read from that file or easily add to it.

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  • How important is self-teaching in the programming field? [closed]

    - by ThePlan
    I'm 16. I started programming about a year ago when I was about to start high-school. I'm going for a career in programming, and I'm doing my best to learn as much as I can. When I first started, I learned the basics of C++ from a book and I started to learn things by myself from there on. Nowadays I'm much more experienced than I was a year ago. I knew I had to study by myself because high-school won't (likely) teach me anything valuable about programming, and I want to be prepared. The question here is: how important is it to study programming by oneself?

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  • How can you store item data from a game?

    - by ThePlan
    When I look at games such as warcraft 3, or Diablo, or basically any games that contain items in them I notice that each item is unique. They all have different stats, different graphics, different names. I took a wild guess that they don't use XML, although I know I might be wrong, but I just figured they use something that isn't easily human-editable to prevent casual hacking. How is data such as item attributes stored in a game (2d or 3d, I suppose it works the same way in both)?

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