Book picks similar to
Basic Computer Games by David H. Ahl


programming
computer
computer-science
nonfiction

Game Programming Gems


Mark DeLoura - 2000
    But instead of spending hours and hours trying to develop your own answers, now you can find out how the pros do it! Game Programming Gems is a hands-on, comprehensive resource packed with a variety of game programming algorithms written by experts from the game industry and edited by Mark DeLoura, former software engineering lead for Nintendo of America, Inc. and now the newly appointed editor-in-chief of Game Developer magazine. From animation and artificial intelligence to Z-buffering, lighting calculations, weather effects, curved surfaces, mutliple layer Internet gaming, to music and sound effects, all of the major techniques needed to develop a competitive game engine are covered. Game Programming Gems is written in a style accessible to individuals with a range of expertise levels. All of the source code for each algorithm is included and can be used by advanced programmers immediately. For aspiring programmers, there is a detailed tutorial to work through before attempting the code, and suggestions for possible modifications and optimizations are included as well.

Game Coding Complete


Mike McShaffry - 2003
    The best description of the first edition comes from two Amazon reviewers; the first proclaiming, "I got the same feeling of enlightenment when reading this one as I did all those years ago when I read the classic book "Code Complete" and the second stating "This is the first game book I have read that I was sorry when I got to the end because there wasn't any more."For Game Coding Complete, Second Edition, McShaffry returns with many more of his highly popular, shoot-from the hips war stories and expert game programming insight that only a real insider could provide. McShaffry uses his experience as a leading programmer for Origin Systems, Microsoft, and Ion Storm a division of Eidos, to illustrate real-world techniques and solutions, including examples from his recent work on the major game, Thief Deadly Shadows. Game Coding Complete, Second Edition takes programmers through the complete process of developing a professional quality game using hundreds of insider tricks and techniques developed and perfect by the author from over a decade of game development experience. It covers a range of topics that will appeal to the most discriminating programmers such as key "gotcha" issues that could trip up even veteran programmers. The new edition features expanded coverage of 3D programming, several new chapters on game interface design, game audio, game scripting, game engine technology, code optimization, production and scheduling, plus it now includes a CD-ROM packed with valuable source code and game development tools. The appendix offers solid advice on starting your own game company. The C++ language is used to explain specific programming concepts with added discussion of development with C# and Managed DirectX programming.

Service-Oriented Design with Ruby and Rails


Paul Dix - 2010
    Today, Rails developers and architects need better ways to interface with legacy systems, move into the cloud, and scale to handle higher volumes and greater complexity. In Service-Oriented Design with Ruby and Rails Paul Dix introduces a powerful, services-based design approach geared toward overcoming all these challenges. Using Dix's techniques, readers can leverage the full benefits of both Ruby and Rails, while overcoming the difficulties of working with larger codebases and teams. Dix demonstrates how to integrate multiple components within an enterprise application stack; create services that can easily grow and connect; and design systems that are easier to maintain and upgrade. Key concepts are explained with detailed Ruby code built using open source libraries such as ActiveRecord, Sinatra, Nokogiri, and Typhoeus. The book concludes with coverage of security, scaling, messaging, and interfacing with third-party services. Service-Oriented Design with Ruby and Rails will help you Build highly scalable, Ruby-based service architectures that operate smoothly in the cloud or with legacy systems Scale Rails systems to handle more requests, larger development teams, and more complex code bases Master new best practices for designing and creating services in Ruby Use Ruby to glue together services written in any language Use Ruby libraries to build and consume RESTful Web services Use Ruby JSON parsers to quickly represent resources from HTTP services Write lightweight, well-designed API wrappers around internal or external services Discover powerful non-Rails frameworks that simplify Ruby service implementation Implement standards-based enterprise messaging with Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) Optimize performance with load balancing and caching Provide for security and authentication

Learning the UNIX Operating System


Jerry Peek - 1989
    Why wade through a 600-page book when you can begin working productively in a matter of minutes? It's an ideal primer for Mac and PC users of the Internet who need to know a little bit about UNIX on the systems they visit.This book is the most effective introduction to UNIX in print. The fourth edition covers the highlights of the Linux operating system. It's a handy book for someone just starting with UNIX or Linux, as well as someone who encounters a UNIX system on the Internet. And it now includes a quick-reference card.Topics covered include: Linux operating system highlightsLogging in and logging outWindow systems (especially X/Motif)Managing UNIX files and directoriesSending and receiving mailRedirecting input/outputPipes and filtersBackground processingBasic network commandsv

Dungeons & Dreamers: A Story of how Computer Games Created a Global Community


Brad King - 2003
    D&D captured the attention of a small but influential group of players, many of whom also gravitated to the computer networks that were then appearing on college campuses around the globe. With the subsequent emergence of the personal computer, a generation of geeky storytellers arose that translated communal D&D playing experiences into the virtual world of computer games. The result of that 40-year journey is today's massive global community of players who, through games, have forged very real friendships and built thriving lives in virtual worlds. Dungeons & Dreamers follows the designers, developers, and players who built the virtual games and communities that define today's digital entertainment landscape and explores the nature of what it means to live and thrive in virtual communities.

Introduction to the Theory of Computation


Michael Sipser - 1996
    Sipser's candid, crystal-clear style allows students at every level to understand and enjoy this field. His innovative "proof idea" sections explain profound concepts in plain English. The new edition incorporates many improvements students and professors have suggested over the years, and offers updated, classroom-tested problem sets at the end of each chapter.

Ejb 3 in Action


Debu Panda - 2007
    This book builds on the contributions and strengths of seminal technologies like Spring, Hibernate, and TopLink.EJB 3 is the most important innovation introduced in Java EE 5.0. EJB 3 simplifies enterprise development, abandoning the complex EJB 2.x model in favor of a lightweight POJO framework. The new API represents a fresh perspective on EJB without sacrificing the mission of enabling business application developers to create robust, scalable, standards-based solutions.EJB 3 in Action is a fast-paced tutorial, geared toward helping you learn EJB 3 and the Java Persistence API quickly and easily. For newcomers to EJB, this book provides a solid foundation in EJB. For the developer moving to EJB 3 from EJB 2, this book addresses the changes both in the EJB API and in the way the developer should approach EJB and persistence.

Async in C# 5.0


Alex Davies - 2012
    Along with a clear introduction to asynchronous programming, you get an in-depth look at how the async feature works and why you might want to use it in your application.Written for experienced C# programmers—yet approachable for beginners—this book is packed with code examples that you can extend for your own projects.Write your own asynchronous code, and learn how async saves you from this messy choreDiscover new performance possibilities in ASP.NET web server codeExplore how async and WinRT work together in Windows 8 applicationsLearn the importance of the await keyword in async methodsUnderstand which .NET thread is running your code—and at what points in the programUse the Task-based Asynchronous Pattern (TAP) to write asynchronous APIs in .NETTake advantage of parallel computing in modern machinesMeasure async code performance by comparing it with alternatives

Programming Perl


Tom Christiansen - 1991
    The first edition of this book, Programming Perl, hit the shelves in 1990, and was quickly adopted as the undisputed bible of the language. Since then, Perl has grown with the times, and so has this book.Programming Perl is not just a book about Perl. It is also a unique introduction to the language and its culture, as one might expect only from its authors. Larry Wall is the inventor of Perl, and provides a unique perspective on the evolution of Perl and its future direction. Tom Christiansen was one of the first champions of the language, and lives and breathes the complexities of Perl internals as few other mortals do. Jon Orwant is the editor of The Perl Journal, which has brought together the Perl community as a common forum for new developments in Perl.Any Perl book can show the syntax of Perl's functions, but only this one is a comprehensive guide to all the nooks and crannies of the language. Any Perl book can explain typeglobs, pseudohashes, and closures, but only this one shows how they really work. Any Perl book can say that my is faster than local, but only this one explains why. Any Perl book can have a title, but only this book is affectionately known by all Perl programmers as "The Camel."This third edition of Programming Perl has been expanded to cover version 5.6 of this maturing language. New topics include threading, the compiler, Unicode, and other new features that have been added since the previous edition.

The LogStash Book


James Turnbull - 2013
    We're going to do that by introducing you to Example.com, where you're going to start a new job as one of its SysAdmins. The first project you'll be in charge of is developing its new log management solution. We'll teach you how to:* Install and deploy LogStash.* Ship events from a LogStash Shipper to a central LogStash server.* Filter incoming events using a variety of techniques.* Output those events to a selection of useful destinations.* Use LogStash's Web interface and alternative interfaces like Kibana.* Scale out your LogStash implementation as your environment grows.* Quickly and easily extend LogStash to deliver additional functionality you might need.By the end of the book you should have a functional and effective log management solution that you can deploy into your own environment.

HTML5 for Masterminds: How to take advantage of HTML5 to create amazing websites and revolutionary applications


Juan Diego Gauchat
    

Replay: The History of Video Games


Tristan Donovan - 2010
    Based on extensive research and over 140 exclusive interviews with key movers and shakers from gaming's past, Replay tells the sensational story of how the creative vision of game designers gave rise to one of the world's most popular and dynamic art forms.

The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds and the Laws of Physics


Roger Penrose - 1989
    Admittedly, computers now play chess at the grandmaster level, but do they understand the game as we do? Can a computer eventually do everything a human mind can do? In this absorbing and frequently contentious book, Roger Penrose--eminent physicist and winner, with Stephen Hawking, of the prestigious Wolf prize--puts forward his view that there are some facets of human thinking that can never be emulated by a machine. Penrose examines what physics and mathematics can tell us about how the mind works, what they can't, and what we need to know to understand the physical processes of consciousness. He is among a growing number of physicists who think Einstein wasn't being stubborn when he said his little finger told him that quantum mechanics is incomplete, and he concludes that laws even deeper than quantum mechanics are essential for the operation of a mind. To support this contention, Penrose takes the reader on a dazzling tour that covers such topics as complex numbers, Turing machines, complexity theory, quantum mechanics, formal systems, Godel undecidability, phase spaces, Hilbert spaces, black holes, white holes, Hawking radiation, entropy, quasicrystals, the structure of the brain, and scores of other subjects. The Emperor's New Mind will appeal to anyone with a serious interest in modern physics and its relation to philosophical issues, as well as to physicists, mathematicians, philosophers and those on either side of the AI debate.

CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide [Exam 640-801]


Todd Lammle - 2000
    This Study Guide was developed to meet the exacting requirements of today's Cisco certification candidates. In addition to the engaging and accessible instructional approach that has earned author Todd Lammle the "Best Study Guide Author" award in CertCities Readers' Choice Awards for two consecutive years, this updated fifth edition provides:In-depth coverage of every CCNA exam objective Expanded IP addressing and subnetting coverage More detailed information on EIGRP and OSPF Leading-edge exam preparation software Authoritative coverage of all exam objectives, including:Network planning & designing Implementation & operation LAN and WAN troubleshooting Communications technology

Apple: The Inside Story of Intrigue, Egomania, and Business Blunders


Jim Carlton - 1997
    Based on exclusive interviews with over 150 people, among them Microsoft's Bill Gates and the inner circle of Apple's top executives, this book reveals new information in an ongoing saga. photo insert.