Beginner's Guide To DarkBASIC Game Programming (2003) - Zubair Khalid

Beginner's Guide to DarkBASIC Game Programming

Your one-stop guide to beginning game programming! Over 700 pages.
You're interested in programming games but you don't know where to begin. Beginner's Guide to DarkBASIC Game Programming is here to help. You'll be programming games in no time - and with DarkBASIC, you'll be amazed at how little code you have to write! DarkBASIC features more than a thousand commands geared towards game development, giving you a powerful tool as you put your newfound skills into practise.

You'll get coverage of both DarkBASIC and DarkBASIC Professional, as well as the complete DarkBASIC Language Reference on CD. This completely self-contained book is designed to give you all of the skills you need to begin an amazing journey into the world of game development.

Jonathan S. Harbour has been fascinated with computers since his first experience with a Commodore PET in 1979. He has been writing code for 15 years, having started with Microsoft BASIC and Turob Pascal on a Tandy 1000. Jonathan graduated from DeVry Institute of Technology in 1997, with a bachelor's degress in Computer Information Systems.

Joshua R. Smith is a full-time professional game developer at Semi Logic Entertainment, Inc. in Palo Credro, California. He has worked on several commercial games, such as Real War and Hot Wheels : Stunt Track Driver 2. Joshua is an expert programmer, enjoyrs writing code in C and Macromedia Shockwave and Lingo, and is a longtime fan of the BASIC language.

Series Editor André LaMothe, CEO Xtreme Games LLC. André LaMothe has been involved in the computing industry for more than 25 years. His experience includes 2D/3D graphics, AI research at NASA, compiler design, robotics, virtual reality, and telecommunications. His books are top sellers in teh game programming genre, and his experience and guidance are echoed in all Premier Press Game Development books. Andre is the founder of the Xtreme Games Developers Conference (XGDC).

Table of contents

Part One : The Basics of Computer Programming

Chapter 1 : Welcome To DarkBASIC
Chapter 2 : Introduction to Computer Programming
Chapter 3 : Basic Commands, Variables, and Data Types
Chapter 4 : Characters, Strings, and Text Output
Chapter 5 : Looping Statements
Chapter 6 : Making Programs Think: Branching Statements and Functions
Chapter 7 : More Power to the Numbers: Data Sequences and Arrays
Chapter 8 : Number Crunching: Mathematical and Relational Operators and Statements

Part Two : Game Fundamentals: Graphics, Sound, Input Devices, and File Access

Chapter 9 : Basic Graphics Commands
Chapter 10 : Game Graphics: Learning To Use Bitmaps
Chapter 11 : The Art of Using Animated Sprites in 2D Games
Chapter 12 : Programming the Keyboard, Mouse, and Joystick
Chapter 13 : Adding Sound Effects To Your Game
Chapter 14 : Playing Some Tunes: CD Audio, MIDI, and MP3 Music
Chapter 15 : Loading and Saving Information Using Files
Chapter 16 : Playing Intro Movies and Cut-Scenes

Part Three : Advanced Topics: 3D Graphics and Multiplayer Programming

Chapter 17 : Fundamentals of 3D Graphics Programming
Chapter 18 : Multiplayer Game Programming: The Crazy CARnage Game

Part Four - Appendix

Appendix A : Answers to the Chapter Quizzes
Appendix B : Recommended Books and Web Sites
Appendix C : ASCII Chart