New to SDL/programming

SDL Development
1

Hi,

I am new to SDL and from what little I have heard and
seen, it seems to be a very nice option to DX. But, I
am trying to find a more comprehensive programming
guide to SDL than what is available. Even the SDL site
admits that its guide is not complete.

Is there anyone, site, place I can get access to to
provide additional information about SDL? I am curious
that though game developers seem to be using SDL for
game development with quality results, that there is
not as much in terms of a comprehensive tutorial/guide
for it.

thanks.

richard__________________________________________________
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2

The book “Programming Linux Games” gives what I call a comprehensive
introduction
to SDL. Not that I have read a lot of others, mind

-Ole

Richard Perrine wrote:>[zchnip]

Is there anyone, site, place I can get access to to
provide additional information about SDL? I am curious
that though game developers seem to be using SDL for
game development with quality results, that there is
not as much in terms of a comprehensive tutorial/guide
for it.

3

— Richard Perrine <richardperrine_rpcv at yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi,

I am new to SDL and from what little I have heard and
seen, it seems to be a very nice option to DX. But, I
am trying to find a more comprehensive programming
guide to SDL than what is available. Even the SDL site
admits that its guide is not complete.

Is there anyone, site, place I can get access to to
provide additional information about SDL? I am curious
that though game developers seem to be using SDL for
game development with quality results, that there is
not as much in terms of a comprehensive tutorial/guide
for it.

thanks.

richard

I’ve found the small examples in the SDL documentation are
normally enough for me. These may also be of use:

http://www.gamedev.net/reference/programming/features/sdl1/
http://www.gamedev.net/reference/programming/features/sdl2/=====
Dave Brondsema
dave at brondsema.net
http://www.brondsema.net

Do You Yahoo!?
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http://sports.yahoo.com/

4

When I decided to use SDL, I started with the same question DirectX or SDL?
I chose SDL for portability and ease of use. You can get a decent grip on
the basics in literally a week or two of light programming.

The all encompasing reading would probably be the tutorial introduced as
separate documentation (downloads->SDL documentation project)

This is a tutorial/reference that works petty good (althogh I don’t think
I’ve found references explaining all the little variables (such as Uints and
Sints…)

-Jim

5

I agree about the book “Programming Linux Games”. It’s an excellent way
to get into SDL and learn about other open source releated programming
API like OpenAL, and other tools like loki_setup and such. It’ll help
you get started in SDL.On Sun, 2002-03-17 at 09:56, Ole Kristian Brattli wrote:

The book “Programming Linux Games” gives what I call a comprehensive
introduction
to SDL. Not that I have read a lot of others, mind

-Ole

Richard Perrine wrote:

[zchnip]

Is there anyone, site, place I can get access to to
provide additional information about SDL? I am curious
that though game developers seem to be using SDL for
game development with quality results, that there is
not as much in terms of a comprehensive tutorial/guide
for it.

SDL mailing list
SDL at libsdl.org
http://www.libsdl.org/mailman/listinfo/sdl

–

6

Hi,

I am new to SDL and from what little I have heard and
seen, it seems to be a very nice option to DX. But, I
am trying to find a more comprehensive programming
guide to SDL than what is available. Even the SDL site
admits that its guide is not complete.

Is there anyone, site, place I can get access to to
provide additional information about SDL? I am curious
that though game developers seem to be using SDL for
game development with quality results, that there is
not as much in terms of a comprehensive tutorial/guide
for it.

I think the best way to learn more about how to use it is by studying the
source of the many programs already available and see how they did it. I
normaly do this myself even. I’m almost finished with an SDL game which is
intended as much an example for new programmers to learn from as being a
great little game.

-Jason

----- Original Message -----
From: richardperrine_rpcv@yahoo.com (Richard Perrine)
To:
Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2002 12:38 PM
Subject: [SDL] New to SDL/programming

7

I second that… or is it I second the agreement… erm…

Programming Linux games by John R Hall (ISBN:1886411492) is the way to go,
you’ll get a good insight into SDL and TCL scripting among many other things.
There’s also the book Linux Game development, but I didn’t think it was as
good as Programming Linux Games, but it does touch on SDL and OpenGL for that
matter.

JasonOn Sunday 17 March 2002 10:27 pm, you wrote:

I agree about the book “Programming Linux Games”. It’s an excellent way
to get into SDL and learn about other open source releated programming
API like OpenAL, and other tools like loki_setup and such. It’ll help
you get started in SDL.

On Sun, 2002-03-17 at 09:56, Ole Kristian Brattli wrote:

The book “Programming Linux Games” gives what I call a comprehensive
introduction
to SDL. Not that I have read a lot of others, mind

-Ole

Richard Perrine wrote:

[zchnip]

Is there anyone, site, place I can get access to to
provide additional information about SDL? I am curious
that though game developers seem to be using SDL for
game development with quality results, that there is
not as much in terms of a comprehensive tutorial/guide
for it.

SDL mailing list
SDL at libsdl.org
http://www.libsdl.org/mailman/listinfo/sdl

8

I’ve got both. PLG is good. LGP is not. Prima made a mess out of the
book. A different publisher may have done it better, but I warn you now
that the included CD is even more useless than an AOL CD - at least those
look cool sitting on your case all melted. :wink:

I am sorry to say that John didn’t put a CD in his book, but if you found
this mailing list you should also be able to find the source code for his
book at its No Starch page…On Mon, Mar 18, 2002 at 12:09:34AM +0000, Jason Farmer wrote:

I second that… or is it I second the agreement… erm…

Programming Linux games by John R Hall (ISBN:1886411492) is the way to go,
you’ll get a good insight into SDL and TCL scripting among many other things.
There’s also the book Linux Game development, but I didn’t think it was as
good as Programming Linux Games, but it does touch on SDL and OpenGL for that
matter.

–
Joseph Carter Have chainsaw will travel

The deafening silence taught me not to ask a bunch of geeks for advice
from their girlfriends

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9

I really enjoyed the book (Programming Linux Games), I got it as soon as it
came out, I’ve heard people say that you’ll soon out grow it, but I beg to
differ, it’s SDL section is great for quick reference.

Although the name probably turned away a lot of sales from possible Win32 SDL
customers as a lot of the code inside would be relevant to Win32 coders too,
in fact there’s even a Win32 version of TCL I believe.

Any chance of an advanced SDL book soon John? :wink:

But for newbies, I’d say, have a play with SDL. It’s very forgiving and
simple. You can get something very simple up and running very quickly.

Yes, Avoid Prima’s, Linux Game Programming, I bought it a while ago. I read
through it, it taught me a little but it wasn’t worth the price, I never got
to using the CD. You reckon it’s coaster fodder? You’re probably right.

I tell you what would be nice, a book written by an estabished Games
Development house on how to write games properly. 'cos there arn’t all that
many around. So people tend to re-invent the wheel everytime and find their
own way. Which to some people is all well and good as new techniques are
invented, but just look how many books there are about database programming.
And Database programming is SOoo much simpler. I think there’s a market being
missed there.

Jason>

I’ve got both. PLG is good. LGP is not. Prima made a mess out of the
book. A different publisher may have done it better, but I warn you now
that the included CD is even more useless than an AOL CD - at least those
look cool sitting on your case all melted. :wink:

I am sorry to say that John didn’t put a CD in his book, but if you found
this mailing list you should also be able to find the source code for his
book at its No Starch page…

On Monday 18 March 2002 12:19 am, you wrote:

On Mon, Mar 18, 2002 at 12:09:34AM +0000, Jason Farmer wrote:

I second that… or is it I second the agreement… erm…

Programming Linux games by John R Hall (ISBN:1886411492) is the way to
go, you’ll get a good insight into SDL and TCL scripting among many other
things. There’s also the book Linux Game development, but I didn’t think
it was as good as Programming Linux Games, but it does touch on SDL and
OpenGL for that matter.

10

The stuff on the CD is broken, as shipped. The files don’t even compile
(and they don’t have makefiles so even if they did compile you’d have to
take the time to write some…) If the book depressed you, the CD would
make you suicidal.

Prima really botched the book pretty bad.On Mon, Mar 18, 2002 at 02:05:43AM +0000, Jason Farmer wrote:

Yes, Avoid Prima’s, Linux Game Programming, I bought it a while ago. I read
through it, it taught me a little but it wasn’t worth the price, I never got
to using the CD. You reckon it’s coaster fodder? You’re probably right.

–
Joseph Carter Goldfish don’t bounce

Writing non-free software is not an ethically legitimate activity, so if
people who do this run into trouble, that’s good! All businesses based
on non-free software ought to fail, and the sooner the better.
– Richard Stallman

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11

Any chance of an advanced SDL book soon John? :wink:

I second that.

I tell you what would be nice, a book written by an estabished Games
Development house on how to write games properly. 'cos there arn’t all that
many around. So people tend to re-invent the wheel everytime and find their
own way. Which to some people is all well and good as new techniques are
invented, but just look how many books there are about database programming.
And Database programming is SOoo much simpler. I think there’s a market being
missed there.

They are out there, they just don’t tend to show up in Barnes and Nobles.

This one did, and it’s pretty cool: “Game Programming Gems” ISBN: 1584500492
and its sequel ISBN: 1584500549 .

Prima has what looked to be a good book on designing (not programming)
RPG-style video games, too, which I’ll probably pick up if I can ever
afford it. :slight_smile:

Look any of this up on Amazon, and you’ll get links to people that have
compiled lists of game development books.

It’s out there.

–ryan.