Jonathan Zdziarski

Joshua Noble, Todd Anderson The best way to show off a powerful new technology is to demonstrate real-world results with it, and that's exactly what Adobe and O'Reilly have done with Flex 3. Through it's Flex Cookbook website, Adobe invited users of the Flex 3 beta to post their own solutions for working with this technology, using O'Reilly's popular problem-solution-discussion format. Website monitors (and authors) Joshua Noble and Todd Anderson chose the most useful solutions for Flex 3 Cookbook. This highly practical book contains more than 200 proven recipes for developing interactive Rich Internet Applications and Web 2.0 sites, including several contributed by Noble, Anderson, and other Flex experts. You'll find everything from Flex basics and working with menus and controls, to methods for compiling, deploying, and configuring Flex applications. Each recipe features a discussion of how and why it works, and many of them offer sample code that you can put to use immediately. Topics include: Menus and controls Containers and dialogues Working with Text List, tiles, trees, and repeaters DataGrid and Advanced DataGrid Renderers Images, videos, and sounds CSS and skinning Building components States and effects Collections, arrays, and DataProviders DataBinding Validation/formatters Charting and data visualization State management, SharedObjects and LocalConnection Working with services and ServerSide communication Working with XML Communicating with the browser Application development strategies Runtime and dynamic shared libraries and modules Working with Adobe AIR Whether you're a committed Flex developer, or still evaluating the technology, you'll discover how to get quick results with Flex 3 using thesethese recipes. Now that Flex is an open source framework, the user community will continue to supply solutions to extend and improve the technology. This Cookbook offers you the cream of the crop.

Apple Computer Inc, James Duncan Davidson

Bruce Eckel Programming languages have similarities with general purpose languages such as Spanish. You might know enough Spanish to cobble together a simple letter or read a poster but the real breakthrough comes when you can think in it. Thinking in Java attempts to improve your understanding to the point where you can think about a programming problem in Java rather than in English or whatever and then translate it. This fits extremely well with the basic Java ethos, which is to enable you to frame a problem in terms of the Java objects you'll use to provide a solution.

Eckel approaches teaching you to think in Java by introducing a topic, talking around it to put it in context, providing examples to try and then discussing them in depth. Each chapter has a summary followed by exercises. The book is structured for someone coming from a procedural language background. Eckel spends a lot of time on OOP concepts in general and the way in which it's implemented in Java. After covering operators Eckel goes on to program flow, initialisation and garbage collection, packages, class reuse, polymorphism and so on all the way up to distributed programming (servlets) and appendices on passing objects, the JNI, guidelines and resources. The whole book is also on CD (in several formats including HTML) with the source code (guaranteed to compile under Linux using Java 1.2.2). The CD also contains Thinking in C: Foundations for C++and Java.

Thinking In Java is basically a tutorial. You're intended to read it linearly and work the exercises. It helps that it's well written but it helps even more to have a programming background. If not, you'll probably want a straight Java reference to hand as well. —Steve Patient

OpenGL Architecture Review Board, Dave Shreiner, Mason Woo, Jackie Neider, Tom Davis

Stephen Kochan

Jonathan S. Harbour This book provides an introduction to the entire field of game programming. As readers work through the book, they will produce two working games: one in 2D and one in 3D - offering a good introduction to DirectX programming. Beginning with an introduction to basic Windows programming, this book quickly advances to the basics of DirectX programming, moving up from surfaces to textures and then to 3D models. This book offers coverage of the introductory concepts of game programming, paving the way for more advanced books on the subject. Readers will develop a working knowledge of the terminology and basics of game programming that will enable them to progress to more advanced game programming topics.

Brian Jepson, Ernest E. Rothman It's about time: Mac OS X for Unix Geeks arrives on the scene none too soon for UNIX aficionados who, having heard that the latest editions of Mac OS are based on a UNIX variant, want to see how the platform compares to more venerable versions of the eminently configurable operating system. This book highlights some key differences between the Darwin environment and more conventional UNIXs, enabling people with UNIX experience to take advantage of it as they learn the Mac OS X way of doing things at the command line.

This slim volume neither aims to teach its readers UNIX nor introduces them to the Mac, but rather to show how Apple has implemented UNIX. It's a fast read that assumes—as the title implies—rather a lot of UNIX knowledge. With that requirement satisfied and this book in hand, you're likely to discover aspects of Aqua much more quickly than you otherwise would have.

The authors spend lots of time explaining how administrative tasks—such as managing groups, users and passwords—are handled in the Mac OS environment. They document netinfo fully, and call attention to its limitations (such as its inability to create home directories for users) by explaining how to do the job on the command line. They also cover C programming in the Darwin universe at greater length than any other book, providing explicit instructions for such important tasks as creating header files and linking static libraries. A guide to the command line (they call the reference section "The Missing Manpages") provides good value at this book's conclusion. —David Wall, Amazon.com

Robert P. Kuehne, J. D. Sullivan

Jonathan Harbour This book is a comprehensive guide to 2D game programming, covering every significant 2D game subject in one volume. It includes coverage of 2D animated sprites, tile-based scrolling, level editing, vector graphics, 2D physics, and the major game genres - real time strategy (Command & Conquer), turn based strategy (Civilization IV), vertical scrolling shoot-em-ups (Mars Matrix), horizontal shoot-em-ups (R-Type), scrolling platform-style games (Mario), and of course, role-playing games (Ultima). It includes discussion of overall game theory and development, explaining how to create a real time strategy game from concept to completion.Readers will create their own professional-quality RTS game using a royalty-free library of RTS artwork, C++, and the cross-platform game library Allegro. In addition to the basic graphics engine (which will run in 2D), this book covers each key feature of an RTS game, including pathfinding, enemy AI, grouping, unit formations, and other related subjects, each covered in a dedicated chapter. Each chapter's skills will be applied to the final game created by the reader.

Phil Gross, Mike Gross

Kari Pulli

Fritz Anderson Apple’s new Xcode 3 is the most powerful Mac development suite ever created. In Xcode 3 Unleashed, renowned Mac developer Fritz Anderson has written the definitive guide to making the most of Xcode 3 to build any Macintosh or iPhone application.

 

Anderson leads you through a simple project that covers the entire Xcode 3.x development lifecycle. You’ll walk through building and debugging command-line tools, creating Mac OS X user interfaces, modeling data, localizing languages, compiling applications, and much more. Along the way, he introduces each of Apple’s remarkable development tools from the latest version of Interface Builder to Instruments—a powerful new tool for analyzing and optimizing your code.

 

Anderson shows how to manage your source code in any environment, whether you’re working solo or participating in a worldwide team. He thoroughly illuminates Xcode 3’s build system and shows how to make the most of Apple’s performance tools, led by the deep and powerful Shark statistical profiler.

 

Systematically updated for Xcode 3.x, this is a comprehensive revision of Anderson’s previous bestseller, Step into Xcode. Its breadth, depth, and practical focus will make it indispensable to every Mac developer: experienced programmers upgrading from Xcode 2 or migrating from CodeWarrior; UNIX/Linux programmers moving to Mac OS X; even new programmers.

 

Detailed information on how to… Succeed with every stage of the Mac OS X application lifecycleMake the most of Xcode 3’s core tools for editing, debugging, testing, and compilationGet the most from new improvements to Interface BuilderCreate robust applications using the Model-View-Controller paradigmUtilize dynamic libraries and frameworksBuild Universal Binaries to run on both Intel and PowerPC MacsAdd Spotlight searchability to data filesProfile memory, I/O, graphics, and threading in real-timeAccelerate both your applications and your development processesLeverage new improvements to the Xcode documentation systemAvoid header ambiguity, disappearing links, and other Xcode development pitfalls

Introduction 1

 

Part I: The Life Cycle of a Mac OS X Application

Chapter 1: Kicking the Tires 11

Chapter 2: Simple Workflow and Passive Debugging 19

Chapter 3: Simple Active Debugging 29

Chapter 4: Compilation: The Basics 39

Chapter 5: Starting a Cocoa Application 47

Chapter 6: A Cocoa Application: Views 63

Chapter 7: A Cocoa Application: Controllers 75

Chapter 8: Version Control 93

Chapter 9: Property Lists 117

Chapter 10: Libraries and Dependent Targets 141

Chapter 11: File Packages and Bundles 153

Chapter 12: Unit Testing 167

Chapter 13: Creating a Custom View 181

Chapter 14: Dynamic Libraries and Frameworks 203

Chapter 15: Documentation in Xcode 221

Chapter 16: Using the Data Modeling Tools 243

Chapter 17: Cross-Development 267

Chapter 18: Spotlight (or, How to Build a Plug-in) 281

Chapter 19: Finishing Touches 301

 

Part II: Xcode Tasks

Chapter 20: Navigating an Xcode Project 331

Chapter 21: Xcode for make Veterans 353

Chapter 22: More About Debugging 373

Chapter 23: Xcode and Speed 395

Chapter 24: A Legacy Project 403

Chapter 25: Shark and the CHUD Tools 421

Chapter 26: Instruments 437

Chapter 27: Closing Snippets 461

 

Appendices

Appendix A: Some Build Variables 475

Appendix B: Project and Target Templates 485

Appendix C: Other Resources 501

 

Index 507

David Gelphman, Bunny Laden

Jeff Tapper, Matt Boles, James Talbot, Ben Elmore, Mike Labriola

Dave Astle, Kevin Hawkins This book provides new game programmers with a complete introduction to 3D game programming using OpenGL. All of the basic elements of OpenGL as it applies to game development are covered. Readers will learn how to apply these elements to games. The material is presented in an easy-to-learn manner, completely accessible to beginning programmers, with complete but concise coverage to ensure the highest value to readers.

Joey Lott, Darron Schall, Keith Peters

Christer Ericson "Accurate and efficient collision detection in complex environments is one of the foundations of today's cutting-edge computer games. Yet collision detection is notoriously difficult to implement robustly and takes up an increasingly large fraction of compute cycles in current game engines as increasingly detailed environments are becoming the norm. Real-time Collision Detection is a comprehensive reference on this topic, covering it with both breadth and depth. Not only are the fundamental algorithms explained clearly and in detail, but Ericson's book covers crucial implementation issues, including geometric and numeric robustness and cache-efficient implementations of the algorithms. Together, these make this book a 'must have' practical reference for anyone interested in developing interactive applications with complex environments." -Matt Pharr, NVIDIA "Christer Ericson's Real-time Collision Detection is an excellent resource that covers the fundamentals as well as a broad array of techniques applicable to game development." -Jay Stelly, Valve "Christer Ericson provides a practical and very accessible treatment of real-time collision detection. This includes a comprehensive set of C++ implementations of a very large number of routines necessary to build such applications in a context which is much broader than just game programming. The programs are well-thought out and the accompanying discussion reveals a deep understanding of the graphics, algorithms, and ease of implementation issues. It will find a welcome home on any graphics programmer's bookshelf although it will most likely not stay there long as others will be constantly borrowing it..." -Hanan Samet, University of Maryland "Real-Time Collision Detection is an excellent resource that every serious engine programmer should have on his bookshelf. Christer Ericson covers an impressive range of techniques and presents them using concise mathematics, insightful figures, and practical code." -Eric Lengyel, Senior Programmer, Naughty Dog "If you think you already know everything about collision detection, you're in for a surprise! This book not only does an excellent job at presenting all the collision detection methods known to date, it also goes way beyond the standard material thanks to a plethora of juicy, down-to-earth, hard-learned implementation tips and tricks. This produces a perfect blend between theory and practice, illustrated by the right amount of source code in appropriate places. Basically the book just oozes with experience. Christer doesn't forget all the alternative topics that, despite not directly related to collision detection, can ruin your implementation if you don't include them in your design. The chapters on robustness and optimization are priceless in this respect. Its carefully crafted compact kd-tree implementation beautifully concludes a unique book full of luminous gems." -Pierre Terdiman, principal software engineer, NovodeX AG, and writer of the popular collision detection library Opcode "When I received a copy of Real-Time Collision Detection for review, I was in the midst of redesigning an architectural visualization and lighting design program. The Bounding Volume Hierarchies chapter allowed me to quickly and easily design and implement an efficient ray tracing acceleration scheme. It also provided me with a wealth of information on various design strategies, which gave me the confidence that I had chosen a near-optimal approach. What one of my clients recently said about the finished software reflects my opinion of this fantastic book: 'Holy cow! Excellent work!'" -Ian Ashdown, byHeart Consultants Limited

Deloura Aimed at the working (or aspiring) C/C++ game programmer, Game Programming Gems contains over 60 programming tips gathered from more than 40 working game gurus. If you want to build your own games or are simply interested in how games work, this text provides an intriguing glimpse into how the pros create state-of-the-art 3-D animation.

The guiding principle in this book is to publish the best available tips for game programming. Most of these fit into 10 pages or less. But don't let the efficient presentation fool you. Almost every one of these tips will be invaluable to any serious game developer.

Early sections concentrate on techniques for creating more maintainable, faster code. A guide to using scripts for data-driven game modules and techniques teaches you better resource management. A quick-start tutorial to the Standard Template Library (STL) will help you learn how to use these fast collection classes in your code right away. Several contributors show off strategies for better game debugging and profiling (and there is even a set of classes that can provide on-screen feedback during testing.)

The mathematical underpinnings required to do leading-edge 3-D graphics processing are also discussed. And Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques for games are explained.

Over 20 techniques for doing work with polygons (a staple of representing 3-D virtual worlds) are laid out too. You will learn a variety of important concepts such as collision detection, working with key frames, better skinning for character animation, and realistic terrain generation (including fractals). A discussion of pixel effects, with some cutting-edge ways to add more realistic lighting and shadows to your games, closes the discussion.

With its leading-edge material on algorithms used by the competition, Game Programming Gems will be a virtual must-read for anyone who works in the game industry. With code samples geared to OpenGL that should run on both Windows and Linux, this book will help developers hone their game programming skills. —Richard Dragan

G. Bronson, S. Menconi