Useful Internet References and Articles (with descriptions)

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Index

• Software Engineering
• C and C++
• Mathematics
• Misc
• Python

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Software Engineering
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
Free eBook about the structure of Computer programs and how they are interpreted by the compiler.

Cowboy Programming - Evolve Your Hierachy
Describes a composite based software design pattern that the author used for the entity system in Tony Hawk series. Extremely useful as it keeps objects as large as they need to be with minimal bloat and hierarchies flat. Don't forget to read the comments as they are just as useful as the article itself.

The Law of Demeter
Article on reducing the coupling between objects.

Object Mentor - Articles
List of published articles from Object Mentor. Most noticeable are the ones on OO Design Principles:
Dependcy Inversion Principle
The Interface Segregation Principle
The Liskov Substitution Principle
The Open Closed Principle
The Single Responsibility Principle

SourceMaking - Design Patterns and Refactoring
Fantastic online resource for commonly used design patterns, refractoring processes and anti patterns (common 'patterns' that you shouldn't do). A lot of the articles also have a video presentation which can help understanding.

C2 Wiki
Wiki which collates opinions and discussions on common software engineering practises and processes.

Cowboy Programming - Mature Optimization
A good article detailing when and where optimisation is used during the course of the project and gives examples of optimisations that should be done early in the project.

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C and C++
C++ - A Dialog
A free eBook that is commonly linked to from forums. The fact that it is a published book means that it would have been peer reviewed prior to print and therefore the information inside is more reliable and 'correct' then common tutorials that haven't been through the same process. It also contains exercises at the end of each chapter to work on.

Optimizing C++
A free eBook on optimisation in C++ focusing on algorithms.

Thinking in C++ Vol 1 and 2
A set of free eBooks. The first volume covers the C++ language and the second covers the C++ Standard Library. It unfortunately assumes prior knowledge of C or the extreme basics of C++ otherwise the material is extremely high quality an covers the C++ language thoroughly.

GameDev.net - Organizing Code Files in C and C++
A must read for any new C or C++ programmer.

GameDev.net - Bitwise Operations in C
Talks about the different numbering systems that are commonly used (binary and hex) and the operators that can be used on them in C or C++.

Top 10 Ways to be Screwed by "C"
Ten common mistakes you can do in C.

Stupid C++ Tricks: Adventures in Assert
Asserts are an extremely powerful tool for a programmer to have to check that the code is doing what was intended. This article looks at extending that functionality for debugging through macros and how to make them as robust as possible.

Making Wrong Code Look Wrong - Joel on Software
Opinion piece on the use of Hungarian notation in code to prevent careless mistakes. Read this with a pince of salt.

EA STL White Paper
Interesting paper on the issues of using STL in a games development domain and how EA have attempted to correct it with their own implementation.

Stroustrup: C++ Style and Technique FAQ
Stroustrup's (the creator of C++) preferred C++ style and technique.

C/C++ Reference
C and C++ library reference with examples.

C++ Frequently Asked Questions
A list of answers to frequently asked questions in C++. Highly recommended if you are a C++ programmer.

C++ Frequently Questioned Answers
C++ is a very convoluted language and this FQA challenges the answers given in the above FAQ.

Guru of the Week

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Optimisations
C Optimisation tutorial
Take with a pinch of salt as much of these are micro-optimisations but useful to know. Remember to profile first before optimisations, identify the bottle necks and then attempt to optimise them. Finally, profile again to see if there are any improvements.

C++ Optimization Strategies and Techniques
Useful site as it provides many C++ specific optimisations with metrics for proof. As above, profile first.

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Mathematics
Coordinate Systems, Vectors, Planes FAQ
Matrix and Quaternion FAQ

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Misc
Return of the Code Monkey - Mock Programmer Test
Example of a mock programmer test that you would expect in a job interview. Useful to check your own level.

Sphere Online Judge
The site has a large amount of programming and algorithmic challenges where you can upload your solution and have it graded.

MIT OpenCourseWare - Computer Science Lectures and Notes

Write Games, Not Engines
Great article on the advantages of aiming to finish a project over creating an engine and then refractoring the parts that reusable into a new project.

Free Game Development Libraries
Huge list of game development libraries that are free to use.

The Elusive Demo Portfolio - Part 1
The Elusive Demo Portfolio - Part 2
The Elusive Demo Portfolio - Part 3
Series of posts regarding what is commonly expected in a Games Programmer demo portfolio. Mostly aimed at Graduates.

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Python
How to Think Like a Computer Scientist: Learning with Python
Recommended eBook for beginning programmers that teaches how to think as a programmer.

GameDev - How To Build a Game In A Week From Scratch With No Budget
Article on how the author managed to build a game from scratch in 40hrs using Python.

A Byte of Python
Free eBook for Python beginners.