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Learning C++ by creating games with UE4
Learning C++ by creating games with UE4

Learning C++ by creating games with UE4: Learn C++ programming with a fun, real-world application that allows you to create your own games!

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Learning C++ by creating games with UE4

Chapter 2. Variables and Memory

To write your C++ game program, you will need your computer to remember a lot of things. Things such as where in the world is the player, how many hit points he has, how much ammunition he has left, where the items are in the world, what power-ups they provide, and the letters that make up the player's screen name.

The computer that you have actually has a sort of electronic sketchpad inside it called memory, or RAM. Physically, computer memory is made out of silicon and it looks something similar to what is shown in the following screenshot:

Variables and Memory

Does this RAM look like a parking garage? Because that's the metaphor we're going to use

RAM is short for Random Access Memory. It is called random access because you can access any part of it at any time. If you still have some CDs lying around, they are an example of non-random access. CDs are meant to be read and played back in order. I still remember jumping tracks on Michael Jackson's...

Variables

A saved location in computer memory that we can read or write to is called a variable.

A variable is a component whose value can vary. In a computer program, you can think of a variable as a container, into which you can store some data. In C++, these data containers (variables) have types. You have to use the right type of data container to save your data in your program.

If you want to save an integer, such as 1, 0, or 20, you will use an int type container. You can use float-type containers to carry around floating-point (decimal) values, such as 38.87, and you can use string variables to carry around strings of letters (think of it as a "string of pearls", where each letter is a pearl).

You can think of your reserved spot in RAM like reserving parking space in a parking garage: once we declare our variable and get a spot for it, no one else (not even other programs running on the same machine) will be given that piece of RAM by the operating system. The RAM beside...

Summary

In this chapter, we spoke about variables and memory. We talked about mathematical operations on variables and how simple they were in C++.

We also discussed how arbitrarily complex data types can be built using a combination of these simpler data types, such as floats, integers, and characters. Constructions such as this are called objects.

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Description

If you are really passionate about games and have always wanted to write your own, this book is perfect for you. It will help you get started with programming in C++ and explore the immense functionalities of UE4.

Who is this book for?

If you are really passionate about games and have always wanted to write your own, this book is perfect for you. It will help you get started with programming in C++ and explore the immense functionalities of UE4.

What you will learn

  • Visualize and truly understand C++ programming concepts, such as how data is saved in computer memory and how program flow works
  • Write reusable code by grouping lines of code into functions
  • Learn how inheritance workshow traits of a base class are passed on to derived classes
  • Learn about dynamic allocation of new memory for your program
  • Design your own world using the UE4 editor
  • Practice programming by coding behaviors into your game world, including player inventory tracking, monsters, and NPCs

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Feb 24, 2015
Length: 342 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784394769
Vendor :
Epic Games
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Product Details

Publication date : Feb 24, 2015
Length: 342 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784394769
Vendor :
Epic Games
Languages :
Concepts :
Tools :

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Frequently bought together


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Table of Contents

13 Chapters
1. Coding with C++ Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Variables and Memory Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. If, Else, and Switch Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Looping Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Functions and Macros Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Objects, Classes, and Inheritance Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Dynamic Memory Allocation Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Actors and Pawns Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Templates and Commonly Used Containers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Inventory System and Pickup Items Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
11. Monsters Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
12. Spell Book Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

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Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.2
(39 Ratings)
5 star 25.6%
4 star 25.6%
3 star 10.3%
2 star 23.1%
1 star 15.4%
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saigahunter Jan 10, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book is very well written. It teaches you the basics of Unreal engine. Before you can really utilize this book, you need to first get Unreal 4, and also Microsoft Visual Studio. This book is focused on the coding side of UE4, and touches very little on BluePrints and the likes. Though this book is aimed at beginners, it will help you very much if you already know the basics of C++. Great book for the price! It really helped me begin programming in UE4. (Be warned, though. While this book is still UE$, It is engine version 4.8 or some older version. The current engine build is 4.10.1, so a bit has changed. You will need to figure that out yourself.) If you are unsure where to start with Unreal 4, get this book!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
MASTERPEACE Nov 16, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
namosca Aug 20, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I have been waiting a long time to write this review. I wanted my review to be as good as this book was for me.This book is a gift from god to me!I have tried learning C++ from other books, but they are all too boring for me. They usually have a dry writing stile packed full of jargon and too few human language, or are full of boring projects.This book from William has a very very plesant flow of conversation which is very human and has less jargon than any other book I have seen. For example, the way he explains iterators:"You can also use an iterator to walk over the elements of the array one by one, as shown in the following code" (pg 197)Also the way he explains pointers is perfect: No explanation at all, just making an example which doesnt require any explanation about it.I do not care that iterators and pointers are treated supeficially on this book, because I am a beginner in C++ and I dont care about deep s*** which cannot make your life practical. I want just a key concept explained in a obvious way, and later if I am interested, I dig somewhere deeper.I can say that the didatic style of this book is more than answersome, and I would like to see another book written by William Sherif soon!Maybe a complete game developed on SFML or something like this?In general, I would like to see William Sherif added as a "didactics advisor" of any book written for programming languages... I bet he would make a more than great job on that!The only thing I didnt like about the book is using MS Visual Studio, a bloatware with 4 GB to be installed, and the huge UE engine which is also several GBs. I only have a very slow computer and horrible internet connection, so I was more than refusing to install VS and UE engine, so I just downloaded CodeBlocks, which is only 20mb, and skipped all UE part of the book (except chapter 8 teaching STL). I use now SFML (a multimedia library) to make fun Projects, and I am perfectly happy with that... No Need to download the UE engine and I can still have fun :)
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Perry Nally Jun 05, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This is a book that creates simple to learn bridge between learning a complex language and applying that knowledge to creating a game in Unreal Engine 4, which can have a steep learning curve. Learning C++ by Creating Games with UE4 was like a breath of fresh air. I must admit, I'm not a beginner to C++, but I read it as if I was; and from that perspective, it's a tremendously helpful book. Even if you already know C++, but don't know Unreal Engine 4, you will at the end of this book. But after all, the book's primary focus it to teach C++, and secondarily teach you Unreal Engine 4. I love the way William Sherif uses analogies to describe principles of the c++ language, then apply that same principle to the UE4 environment.After the first initial chapters spent in the syntax of C++, William gets right into learning the ropes, but gives great encouragement along the way. In addition, his tips are timely and valuable, not just fluff. I feel like I'm a much better C++ programmer and can now script great games in the Unreal Engine 4 because I chose to read this book. I'm hoping to release my first Unreal Engine 4 game soon. Thanks William!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
A. Becker Aug 20, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This is a good introduction to C++, but much of the Unreal Engine specific code in now out of date and many of the chapters cannot be completed with recent versions.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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