Our ratings are according to how many we give a book. is a perfect score. Cg (C for Graphics)
C/C++
Java/JavaScript
Assembly
The Cg Tutorial
review by Forest J. Handford This is the perfect book for an artist who wants to get more technically involved with graphics development and anybody who wants to do graphics programming.� Cg means C for graphics.� It was specifically created to give programmers and artists greater freedom in graphics output.� The code can compile to run on many operating systems including Windows, OS X, and X-box. The authors take you through the details of using the language to develop content.� They also include exercises so you can test yourself and of great importance a CD.� �
Windows Game Programming for Dummies
review by Forest J. Handford This book is a GREAT way to learn how to program Windows games. Andre Lamothe is the most published game programmer and has more practical experience than most other game programming authors. For me, this book was mostly review because I had already pieced together the information from other books. The book teaches a C/C++ programmer Windows programming. The book then covers DirectX, including DirectDraw, DirectSound, DirectInput, DirectSetup and AutoPlay. The book also covers AI, game design, and how to get your work sold. This is the best way for a C/C++ programmer to learn Windows game programming.
BEGINNING Visual C++ 6
review by Forest J. Handford This book is great for database programming, C++ basics and MFC programming. At the time I read this book I only knew C programming. This book was where I learned the fundamentals of object oriented programming. I also learned information that could be helpful in making database programs. If you already know C++ you shouldn't bother with this book. If you don't know C++, the first half of this book is excellent for learning about classes and other widely used C++ concepts. The second half of the book eases you into database programs. Although there are some errors in the book all of the corrections are available on their web site. The code is all downloadable from their web site. Although the book is black and white, the content is presented in a manner that helps you skip sections your not interested in. The book includes several screen shots to help you. This book has the most humorous jokes I've seen in a programming book. The code will only work on a Microsoft Visual C++ compiler that is greater than or equal to version 4. I've scanned through the newest versions of this book. Each new version is longer and has more complex, yet useful programs. Part of Version 6 is available for free in a web version with the Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 compiler.
CUTTING-EDGE 3D GAME Programming with C++
review by Forest J. Handford This book is aimed towards the creation of a 3-D game like Doom or Quake. You NEED a compiler that allows the use of the REGS structure which directly accesses registers. The compiler the code was first made in is no longer being made so you'll have to do a good amount of debugging to get the included code to compile. The book comes with a CD that has some great sound and image utilities. The code will not compile in a Microsoft compiler, trust me I've tried! Even though I couldn't use the code, I did learn a lot of historical information from this book. This was the way games were made before DirectX. I learned several great graphical concepts from this book, like gouraud shading. Although this book is a bit out of date the publisher has several other books that could prove useful to you.
Inside DirectX
review by Forest J. Handford This is an excellent book for any C++ programmer. It starts by teaching "the theory of directness." You'll first learn how to use Direct Draw. After Direct Draw the book goes over Direct Sound. It also goes over Direct Play and Direct Setup. Each chapter comes with at least one game. Some of the code from this book can be found in the DirectX chapters. This book does not go over Direct3D due to it's complexity. You'll need a Microsoft Visual C++ compiler to compile the code, which isn't shocking since Microsoft publishes it. This is the book that the makers of DirectX developed to attract game programmers! It goes at a great pace and isn't bogged down with code on every page. The text is filled with humor to spice it up. This is a must have for any serious game programmer.
The Joy of C
review by Forest J. Handford I bought this book for my college introduction to C course. This is an excellent book and despite it's name does cover some C++ programming. All of the most useful C concepts and functions are discussed in this book. All of the source code is included in a disk that comes with the book. This may not be a great book for the experienced C++ programmer who wants game programming exposure but it does have a section devoted to the game of life.
Graphic Java Mastering the AWT (2nd Edition)
review by Joseph P. Russell This book is awesome! While many other Java books introduce you to fairly complex concepts on the AWT (Abstract Windowing Tool kit), used for graphics programming, this book is completely dedicated to it. It's very hard to get a good understanding of the AWT just by reading a few chapters out of an Intro-to-Java type book. I didn't truly understand Java graphics programming until after I read this book. It is not for Java newbies, though. Unless you already have a working knowledge of Java, you will have a difficult time understanding this book. It steps you through creating your own AWT components and how the existing AWT components are programmed. It even comes with a CD with the GJT (Graphic Java Tool kit) which consists of the custom components covered in the book. After reading this book, you should have an intuitive feel to Java graphics programming.
Just Java (2nd Edition)
review by Joseph P. Russell Although this book is somewhat outdated (the majority of it was written while JDK 1.1 was in development), it would still be worth reading for newer Java programmers. It has some pretty solid object oriented programming conceptual content. The book assumes that the reader has little to no object oriented programming background and does a decent job of describing it. It comes with a CD including JDK 1.02. This book was my first Java book and I didn't like it at first because it was more conceptual than specific in nature, but I found myself referring back to it when I was having a hard time understanding something stated in other Java books. If you plan to purchase this book I suggest you get a more recent release with at least JDK 1.1 coverage.
Teach Yourself Internet Game Programming with Java in 21 Days
review by Joseph P. Russell I thought I struck gold when I bought this book since it was about Game Programming and published by one of my favorite publishers, but although it's a good book, I was somewhat disappointed. It does a good job of describing game programming concepts, such as sprites, but the code used in the book was a lot simpler than I had hoped for. After reading this book, you should have an average understanding of two dimensional game programming with Java, but without expanding this knowledge you can only make very simple games. It comes with a CD that includes code from the book and some images used for creating the sample games.
Teach Yourself Java 1.1 in 21 Days
review by Joseph P. Russell This book is great for Java beginners! It describes the basics of object oriented programming (OOP) with Java in a very clear and easy to understand way and comes with a CD with Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.1.3 and all of the sample code in the book. It starts off with an informative introduction to Java Applications and Applets and the strict, but very intuitive, Object Oriented nature of Java. It is extremely important that you become familiar with OOP when learning Java. In fact, all Java programs must contain at least one class definition. Teach Yourself Java 1.1 in 21 Days does a rather good job of describing the 1.1 event programming as well as the older 1.02 event programming. This book would not be for you if you already have a basic knowledge of Java programming because it does not cover the more advanced Java concepts, like database programming for instance, but I would definitely recommend this Java book to anyone who wants to gain a basic to intermediate knowledge of Java programming.
Teach Yourself JavaScript in a Week
review by Joseph P. Russell After reading this book, I never had a reason to buy another JavaScript book! I got this book when C-like languages and the internet were new to me. I went from knowing almost nothing about the internet to programming my own JavaScript internet games in no time. It is very, very easy to understand and leaves almost nothing out. It brings you from not knowing a thing about JavaScript to understanding somewhat advanced concepts. Although you should have some knowledge of HTML before reading this book, it does a good job of explaining some harder to understand HTML, such as forms and how to manipulate them using JavaScript. It also explains the importance of the dynamic aspect JavaScript can add to a web site. Although I got this book over 2 years ago, it is still a great reference. For anyone interested, there are later releases of this book that cover JavaScript 1.1. If you possess an interest in JavaScript, this book is a must have.
ASSEMBLER LANGUAGE WITH ASSIST AND ASSIST/I
review by Forest J. Handford This was my assembly book when I took assembly in college. This book teaches you how to program in PC/370 Assembly. PC/370 an operating system run on IBM mainframes. This is defiantly not for game programmers. It is written clearly and has nice flow charts. It has no sample code! The language is similar to x86 assembly, but not close enough to buy the book. I wouldn't recommend this to anybody unless they were planning on working with mainframes.
The REVOLUTIONARY guide to ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE
review by Forest J. Handford This is what I have fondly come to call "the Assembly BIG BOOK." This is one thousand pages of the most useful x86 Assembly information. It starts from scratch in such a way that even my mother could learn assembly from this book. Sample code and some utility programs that were written in Assembly are included in the disk that comes with the book. This goes over everything from TSRs to printers and the mouse. This is the first Computer Science book I've read that is in color! This is a MUST have for any game programmer no matter how little or how great your assembly background is.
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