C++ Programming for the Absolute Beginner

398 Pages·2009·5.5 MB·English

by  Mark Lee

C++ Programming for
the Absolute Beginner,
Second Edition
Mark Lee
Course Technology PTR
A part of Cengage Learning
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Beginner, Second Edition: Mark Lee
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 11 10 09
To Dirk Henkemans,
my best friend. I am
lost without you.
F
OREWORD
T
he video game industry is unique in that it regularly incorporates every
major discipline of computer science. From 3D graphics and artificial in-
telligence to operating system theory and database design, if you are
designing a commercial video game, you will eventually run into problems from
each of these fields. Some of these fields mean working with specialized languages,
but ultimately the two languages that are as common to the game industry as
crunch time, caffeinated beverages, and pizza are C and C++. Despite a few com-
mercial games written in Java (which is very similar to C++), almost every game
that you play is written in either C or C++. It doesn’t matter whether the game runs
on a PC, a game console, or even an arcade machine, chances are that C or C++
routines are at its heart. Even in cases when performance dictates that a routine
needs to be written in assembly language to squeeze out more speed, it is common
practice to first write the routine in C or C++.
During my years in the industry, I have interviewed over one hundred applicants
for programming positions and have read resumes from thousands more. Through
all of this, I continually look for three things in a strong candidate. The first is
strong problem-solving skills. With constantly changing technologies and fierce
competition, game programming is always throwing new problems at us. Conse-
quently, excellent problem-solving skills are not only a luxury, but they are also a
requirement. Second, a good candidate has been exposed to the entire spectrum
of computer science disciplines. Even when programmers have specialized in one
area, the solution to a problem often lies in a field outside their area of expertise.
Finally, I look for strong C/C++ skills. C/C++ skills are to a game programmer what
paint and brushes are to a painter. They are the tools of the trade and, as such,
they need to be finely honed.
Although C++ is widely used as a teaching language, this wasn’t always the case. I
can still recall my first exposure to C programming. Until that time, all of my
programming had been in Basic (my first video game was written in it), Pascal, and
Fortran. I had heard of C; according to rumor, it was going to be the language to
know. I was looking forward to my next computer science course: “Introduction
to Programming Languages.” I assumed that the course would teach me how to
program in C. I was wrong. The only reference to C in the entire course was, “Here
is your assignment. Write it in C. Hand it in on Wednesday.” “Okay,” I thought. “At least one
of the course textbooks is about C.” As it turned out, that textbook was about accessing UNIX
operating system information from the C language. That was useful if I was interested in
accessing process IDs or using shell commands, but not a great help if I wanted to know how
to read a file or write a function.
Somehow I managed to struggle through the assignment and to actually learn something
while I did it. It wasn’t the best way to learn a new language, but it was better than my first
exposure to C++. That was during my first job after graduation. I was working for the univer-
sity’s athletic department writing software for various research projects. One of the projects
that I inherited from the previous programmer was only half complete and was written in
C++. Once again, I had before me a sink-or-swim proposition. This time, I had access to a
function reference that explained only the syntax of the language, not how to use it. I would
have killed for the book that you are currently holding in your hands. Well, maybe not killed,
but I certainly can’t overestimate the importance of learning C++ in such an organized and
straightforward manner. As you read this book, please have some sympathy for those of us
who didn’t have the fine learning tool you have.
Scott Greig
Director of Programming BioWare Corp.
A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
T
he amount of time and effort involved in the process of publishing a book
is considerable, and this book is no exception. As only one cog in the vast
machine of effort involved, it is difficult for me to fully appreciate all of
the hands that have touched this edition. However, without the ambition and drive
of my original co-author, Dirk Henkemans, this book would have remained an
unrequited dream. His drive and perseverance taught me that seemingly impos-
sible things, like writing a book, were not only possible, but readily attainable.
I thank Course Technology PTR for making this book possible and Mitzi Koontz,
my acquisitions editor, for all of her efforts.
I am deeply indebted to Keith Davenport, the technical editor, whose careful eye
ensured all of the code in this book works as it should.
Jenny Davidson, the project and copy editor, was an exceptional resource through-
out the project and her careful editing improved this work by orders of magnitude.
I extend a special thank you to everyone else who played a role in preparing this
book for publication, including Value Chain International, layout; Sara Gullion,
proofreader; and Sharon Shock, indexer. All of you played a big role in making this
book what it is.
We give praise to Scott Greig, the lead programmer at BioWare Corp. and the
author of this book’s foreword. Scott, you are our idol. Without you, who could we
aspire to be?
I am deeply thankful for the scrutinizing eye of Jen Janzen whose talent for editing
is unrivaled. Every line she touches is improved by orders of magnitude.
Finally, I’d like to give thanks to my parents, for putting up with and supporting
me all of these years.
A A
BOUT THE UTHOR
M
ark Lee is a professional web developer and programmer. He has a degree
in Computer Science from the University of Alberta and is proficient in the
use of C, C++, Java, Ruby, PHP, AJAX, MySQL, and JavaScript.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Starting the Journey................................................ 1
Computer Basics..................................................................................................................... 2
Defining Source Code........................................................................................................... 2
Examining Hello World............................................................................................... 3
Using Visual Studio............................................................................................................... 6
Creating a New Project......................................................................................................... 6
The Software Development Cycle.................................................................................... 11
Working with Text............................................................................................................... 12
Assembling Strings.............................................................................................................. 13
Displaying Strings with cout............................................................................................ 13
Displaying Multiple Strings with cout.................................................................. 14
Working with Escape Characters.................................................................................... 14
Storing Strings...................................................................................................................... 15
Displaying Stored Strings.................................................................................................. 16
The Town Crier Program.................................................................................................... 17
Receiving Input.................................................................................................................... 18
Storing Strings with cin..................................................................................................... 18
Working with Numbers..................................................................................................... 20
Introducing Integers........................................................................................................... 20
Taking Action with Operators.......................................................................................... 20
The Modulus Operator........................................................................................................ 21
Creating the Pirate Musketeer Game............................................................................. 21
Summary................................................................................................................................ 23
Chapter 2 Descending Deeper into Variables........................ 25
Understanding Variables................................................................................................... 25
Sorting Out the Relationship between Variables and Memory............................... 26
Describing Variable Identifiers........................................................................................ 29
Declaring and Assigning Variables................................................................................. 30
Introducing the Fundamental Variable Types............................................................. 31
The Boolean Type................................................................................................................. 31
The Character Types............................................................................................................ 32
The Integer Types................................................................................................................. 32