Usage

Tips For Using The CD

 

 

Tutorial Organization

The CD has the following tutorial sections:  C, C++, Win32, OpenGL, Direct3D, C#, Java and Video.  Each section has its own tutorial list in recommended reading order.

 

 

The Learning Process

Every individual has their own way of learning.  Some people are visual learners where a picture is worth more than a thousand words.  Others are audible learners where they learn best when spoken to.  Below are suggestions for maximizing your learning with the tutorials provided on the CD.

One way to know if you've really digested a lesson is to try and modify it.  Determine what the new features you want the tutorial to have and modify the original until it does what you want.  Don't be afraid to break something.  Each tutorial serves as a playground for experimentation.  You can always revert back to a working version.  A second effective learning method and critical skill in general is debugging.  Use the debugger to step through a tutorial, line by line, seeing exactly how everything gets executed.  Then go back and try to rewrite a portion keeping the functionality of the program intact.  If you plan on writing any program that is even remotely complicated having solid debugging skills will prove invaluable.  Lastly, you can try rapid prototyping.  This is where you take multiple pieces of the tutorials, or other pieces of code you have written, and try to make a new application as fast as possible.  You are not worried about speed, portability, or code design of the newly created application.  Your goal is to get a prototype finished as quickly as possible.  The problems you run into when doing a rapid prototype will be informative and help you improve your starting code base.

 

 

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