C++ References, Sprite Sheets, and Vertex Arrays

In Chapter 4, Loops, Arrays, Switch, Enumerations, and Functions – Implementing Game Mechanics, we talked about scope. This is the concept that variables declared in a function or inner block of code only have scope (that is, can be seen or used) in that function or block. Using only the C++ knowledge we have currently can cause a problem. What do we do if we need to work on a few complex objects that are needed in the main function? This could imply that all the code must be in the main function.

In this chapter, we will explore C++ references, which allow us to work on variables and objects that are otherwise out of scope. In addition to this, these references will help us avoid having to pass large objects between functions, which is a slow process. It is slow because each time we do this, a copy of the variable or object must be made.

Armed with this new knowledge of references, we will look at the SFML VertexArray...