sdl advice
i have started learning sdl from lazy foo and youtube etc and the amount of build in fuction names to memorise is overwhelming is it good if i copy and past the function and then manipulate it right now or should i start memorising the biuld in functions syntax i am using for the game
I once dated a girl who was going to school to be a adolescent psychologist. One of her most difficult classes "Methods and Learning Behaviors" lasted four of the six years she was in school. So I highly doubt anybody here is qualified to say which way is going to be best for you.
YEah maybe you're right i think i will go with copy and pasting mostly the build in function codes and then maipulating them
My advice:
Use the tutorial to get the basic idea of how to use the lib. But at the same time, keep the official documentation open. Whenever the tutorial introduces a new function or whatever... look at it in the documentation to see how it works (it will often explain it better than the tutorial will).
Documentation also typically has an alphabetical list of all available classes/functions. So if you want to do something you don't know how to do and the tutorial doesn't really explain... you can skim the list for functions which sound like they might do what you want to do.
SDL used to have a link to online documentation on their main page... now it just seems to go to the wiki. Looks like SDL 2.0 documentation is here:
http://wiki.libsdl.org/CategoryAPI
Dunno if SDL 1.2 documentation is still online on their site (though you shouldn't be using SDL 1.2 anyway as it's very archaic).
The point is.... you don't necessarily have to memorize the functions. Very few programmers have entire APIs memorized... most rely on documentation and intellisense and other such tools when programming. There's nothing wrong with referring to documentation when you want to use a function -- in fact it's the right thing to do. After a while, you'll just find that you don't have to refer to it as much as you used to.
Use the tutorial to get the basic idea of how to use the lib. But at the same time, keep the official documentation open. Whenever the tutorial introduces a new function or whatever... look at it in the documentation to see how it works (it will often explain it better than the tutorial will).
Documentation also typically has an alphabetical list of all available classes/functions. So if you want to do something you don't know how to do and the tutorial doesn't really explain... you can skim the list for functions which sound like they might do what you want to do.
SDL used to have a link to online documentation on their main page... now it just seems to go to the wiki. Looks like SDL 2.0 documentation is here:
http://wiki.libsdl.org/CategoryAPI
Dunno if SDL 1.2 documentation is still online on their site (though you shouldn't be using SDL 1.2 anyway as it's very archaic).
The point is.... you don't necessarily have to memorize the functions. Very few programmers have entire APIs memorized... most rely on documentation and intellisense and other such tools when programming. There's nothing wrong with referring to documentation when you want to use a function -- in fact it's the right thing to do. After a while, you'll just find that you don't have to refer to it as much as you used to.
Last edited on
I just used lazyfoo as a guide and made my own class using the basic functions and then wrote my own documentation to call them. But, NO! Do not waste time memorizing every little function. That is pointless. It is much more useful to know how to use them as opposed to memorizing the syntax. Once, you mess around with it enough you will eventually memorize it anyways.
Check out my YT. I did some small SDL project.s
http://youtu.be/nO5gASXT0AI
Check out my YT. I did some small SDL project.s
http://youtu.be/nO5gASXT0AI
Don't trust him; he's computergeek; computergeeks don't have any girls. ;)
Going back to your question: get IDE with text-completion function(such as Code::Blocks, which I'm using. Afaik, Visual Studio also has this feature).
What this feature does, is going all the way through your project and files you included, and kind of memorizes all function, preprocessor macro and data names (and also imports C++ identifiers, such as new, int, and so on). Then, as you write, or call it by special shortcut, it will suggest you the proper name(for example: if you have int called "TheWeightOfMyFile", and want to do something like w = TheWeightOfMyFile, then instead of writing the name in all these places, you simply can start writing its name, and suggestions will pop up(it will look like list, so you can choose correct name, if wrong name was suggested).
This feature is not only making you write less, and writing programs easier, but also can make finding proper functions easier(since in SDL every function starts with SDL_ prefix, if you type it, you will be able to go through available functions.
These IDEs also have a feature that allow you to find declaration or implementation of function. What it means, is that it will send you to proper line in proper file, where function has been either declared or defined. In SDL it means that you can check parameters of function, and brief explanation, as basic documentation is also included in header files.
As for basic function names: don't worry. Just learn SDL and use them - you will learn them with time. The more you use these functions, the better you remember them. After some time, you will have most of the functions in your head(and if you forget something, you can use text-completion ;) ). If then you need some function, and you don't know its name, simply go to documentation/headers.
But as I said, most of it will come with practice. There is no better way(just remember to write all of it by yourself, even if it means writing the same function for 20 times; you don't learn anything if you copy and paste).
Going back to your question: get IDE with text-completion function(such as Code::Blocks, which I'm using. Afaik, Visual Studio also has this feature).
What this feature does, is going all the way through your project and files you included, and kind of memorizes all function, preprocessor macro and data names (and also imports C++ identifiers, such as new, int, and so on). Then, as you write, or call it by special shortcut, it will suggest you the proper name(for example: if you have int called "TheWeightOfMyFile", and want to do something like w = TheWeightOfMyFile, then instead of writing the name in all these places, you simply can start writing its name, and suggestions will pop up(it will look like list, so you can choose correct name, if wrong name was suggested).
This feature is not only making you write less, and writing programs easier, but also can make finding proper functions easier(since in SDL every function starts with SDL_ prefix, if you type it, you will be able to go through available functions.
These IDEs also have a feature that allow you to find declaration or implementation of function. What it means, is that it will send you to proper line in proper file, where function has been either declared or defined. In SDL it means that you can check parameters of function, and brief explanation, as basic documentation is also included in header files.
As for basic function names: don't worry. Just learn SDL and use them - you will learn them with time. The more you use these functions, the better you remember them. After some time, you will have most of the functions in your head(and if you forget something, you can use text-completion ;) ). If then you need some function, and you don't know its name, simply go to documentation/headers.
But as I said, most of it will come with practice. There is no better way(just remember to write all of it by yourself, even if it means writing the same function for 20 times; you don't learn anything if you copy and paste).
I just want to say that Intelli-sense is basically auto-complete, and yes I do mean the same thing you use in your text messaging so user beware.
Intelli-sense is autocomplete with extras. It also pops up parameter lists and sometimes can even pop up comments which document the item in question.
Oh, and important information.
Again, never copy and paste when you try to learn; always re-write, as when you copy and paste, you aren't learning.
And second thing is that you should get SDL 2.0, as SDL 1.2.15 is old. SDL 2.0 is stable, so nothing to worry about.
Cheers!
Again, never copy and paste when you try to learn; always re-write, as when you copy and paste, you aren't learning.
And second thing is that you should get SDL 2.0, as SDL 1.2.15 is old. SDL 2.0 is stable, so nothing to worry about.
Cheers!
SDL 1.2.15 replaced by SDL2.0 done and in Microsft Visual c++ Express 2010 does not auto- complete or intellisense it did in code-blocks but it does auto-complete in structure and in class how do i turn on auto complete for example when i write SDL_ it does not show suggestions and libraries advice was good so was that youtube video
Topic archived. No new replies allowed.