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As most of game programming is done - I read on this very site - in C/C++ I was wondering if there is any learning/studying material for C/C++ that would target specifically game programming.

I am not looking for material about "developing games" or "software architecture for games", but rather for material that uses "game programming" as the CONTEXT for introducing and illustrating C/C++ features, idioms, programming techniques, etc...

With a simile: think to the GOF book on design patterns. There, they used "developing a text-editor" as a context for introducing design patterns, but the book is most definitively not a book about "developing text-editors".

EDIT: The book should contain code examples that are not dependant on proprietary technologies (e.g.: it should use OpenGL rather than DirectX, a dialect of C known to gcc rather than needing a specific commercial compiler, etc...)

Thanks in advance for your time and advice!

PS: My background: I am a programmer with a solid experience in OO scripting languages and only some experience in C and Assembler (on AVR microcontrollers), so I am thinking to mid-to-advanced level material, rather than tutorials for beginners, although it might be interesting to take a look to the latter ones if nothing else is available.

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There's Beginning C++ Through Game Programming..I found it to be a good book. All the examples it works on are small, text-based games.

If you're talking more advanced, I haven't seen anything like that.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Reading Amazon's reviews it looks like I'm looking for something fairly more advanced. Yet, +1 because this is exactly the kind of book that I am looking for. \$\endgroup\$
    – mac
    Jun 29, 2011 at 9:19
  • \$\begingroup\$ @mac: Well, which is it? You want a beginner's book that teaches C++, or something advanced? \$\endgroup\$
    – BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
    Jul 1, 2011 at 21:28
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    \$\begingroup\$ @BlueRaja I'm pretty sure he's looking for the equivalent of an advanced C++ book with a gamedev setting. \$\endgroup\$
    – PrettyPrincessKitty FS
    Jul 2, 2011 at 9:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ @BlueRaja - Read the question again (last paragraph!) ;) \$\endgroup\$
    – mac
    Jul 2, 2011 at 10:28
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There's C++ For Game Programmers but maybe Game Coding Complete will be a better match (although it does not focus on C++ only but there are some good chapters on C++ specific problems).

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    \$\begingroup\$ On one hand, I recommend Game Coding Complete hugely. Absolutely great book on a number of topics. However, the OP is looking for a book where the focus is C++ with a gamedev context, rather than the other way around which GCC is. \$\endgroup\$
    – PrettyPrincessKitty FS
    Jun 29, 2011 at 10:31
  • \$\begingroup\$ From what I understand from the Amazon reviews, C++ for game programmers seem to be a good fit (+1). Game coding complete - OTOH - seems a bit off my priorities right now, but I keep on reading (here and elsewhere) that it's a very good book, so maybe not now but in a little while... :) \$\endgroup\$
    – mac
    Jun 29, 2011 at 13:00
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I really enjoyed this book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginning-Game-Programming-Jonathan-Harbour/dp/1598632884/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309350818&sr=1-14

this starts with windows programming then direct x in 2d then 3d.

a brilliant book to follow Beginning C++ Through Game Programming

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for this. I did not specify this in my original question (I am going to do it now!) but a book which is tightly coupled to Windows is a no-go for me, as my development platform is GNU/Linux. \$\endgroup\$
    – mac
    Jun 29, 2011 at 12:52
  • \$\begingroup\$ @mac in that case check out the authors other books the guy programs in a whole bunch of stuff \$\endgroup\$
    – Skeith
    Jun 29, 2011 at 13:01
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Here you go: 20 online lessons. It starts from "zero", but you can skip/skim the beginner parts. Also perhaps the school offers more advanced material.

Introduction to C++ with Game Development

Learning C++ in the context of game development

Welcome to the first article of Learning C++ tutorial series, provided by the IGAD program of the NHTV University! These tutorials are designed to take you from zero to block 3 entry level of IGAD's program in a somewhat smooth fashion. We start at the absolute basics: all that you need to get started is some decent equipment, a fair bit of time, and quite a bit of dedication.

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A quick blurb about us: IGAD stands for "International Game Architecture & Design". We are a Dutch accredited course for game development, ran almost exclusively by teachers with game industry experience. We started in 2005, and so far, it's awesome. About the authors

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This tutorial is written by Jacco Bikker, Brian Beuken, Nils Deslé, and Carlos Bott. Look us up on the internet to find out about we did and still do related to games development.

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    \$\begingroup\$ With no discussion of templates, inheritance, virtual functions, or operator overloading, I would be hard-pressed to call that an introduction to C++. It's an introduction to the absolute basics of programming. \$\endgroup\$
    – user744
    Jul 1, 2011 at 23:48
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Joe, @Leftium - I understand the rationale behind the downvote, yet the material (although being for ultimate noobs and so being of little if no use for me) takes precisely the approach that I asked for. +1 for me, as other people looking for something in the line of what I asked could find this answer useful. \$\endgroup\$
    – mac
    Jul 2, 2011 at 10:33

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