Finding a Good Kite Field
I love flying sport kites, and every flyer I know has their own favorite fields. When starting out or when traveling somewhere new you need to find a new field, and sometimes you can’t find locals who know the best spots.
Twist and Shout
I recently needed a data structure and some math algorithms for a set of problems on twists and turns. I may have re-invented some math structures. It is also possible this post is adding to the body of a new branch of braid theory mathematics. Warning: math words ahead!
Programming for Performance
Working with games means programming, but it is also a special kind of programming. When working on a game you know will be used for competitive play in some ways is like the Formula One race cars; everything you do needs to consider performance. When working on a game you may know that the game is going …
RAII is also about destruction
In my last article I wrote a little about the initialization side of RAII, Resource Acquisition Is Initialization, in this one I will talk about the flip side, RAII is also about destruction and cleanup.
RAII: What does “Initialization” mean?
Over on gamedev.net there have been several questions lately about RAII, or the philosophy of Resource Acquisition Is Initialization. The common discussion question is: What does initialized mean, exactly?
What goes in a GameObject class
On gamedev.net recently there have been several questions about game objects. What are they? How do they work with the rest of the system? What belongs in the object? When should they be created and destroyed? This week I’ll be addressing a few of these.
Annotations, Attributes, and Other Hidden Dependencies.
Today at work we had a big discussion about annotations in some Java code. These wonderful little inventions save a time and make life much easier for programmers, but they are also the source of terrible nightmares. To get into the subject, I’ll need to explain a few things for the audience.
C++ Book List
Last update 20 Aug 2016. There are an ENORMOUS number of C++ books. Many of them (sadly) have major errors, describing a language that is similar to, but fundamentally different from, the actual C++ language. There are many lists like Stack Overflow’s book guides, both for books to read and books to avoid. There have been several …