Game Programming, Emulator Programming , etc.

[jonjandran]

Well , winter is here and I find myself with a lot of time on my hands.

I've always wanted to to a little programming or at least learn more about it , and now I have some time to do so.

So my question is: What is the best way to get started ?

I would really like to help in the Emulator field. I would like to maybe develop emulators for handheld systems . But I know I have to start with the basics.

So..... Do i start with C++ , Visual Basic ? Or are there internet courses where I could learn at my own pace ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Azazel]

Don't bother with Visual Basic. Most good emulators are written in C, C++, or Assembly. Or a combinatiion of assembly and one of the others. As for starting out it's probably worth it to find whatever documention there is on the system you want to emulate. If you want to work on maybe emulating the new Nintendo hand held system you could maybe start with Arm and Thumb assembly or whatever it's called as it's suppose to be backwards combatiablewith GBA software and you'll probably need to know it. I don't know of any internet courses but I've known some people who self taught themself C and assembly on there own.

[postulio]

yeah definately learn C and assembly.

vb is worthless. the work i did on the snes emulator for gba was mostly assembly debuging and it really sucked (the process).

[jonjandran]

Thanks for the replies.

So what should I learn first ? C , C ++ , or Assembly ?

[Aussie2B]

C++ is more or less everything C is and then some (hence C++, which means C incremented by 1 :P ).

Assembly is the best language to learn when it comes to games, in my opinion, but it's pretty daunting to learn it without any prior experience with a programming language. C++ is good to start with.

[jonjandran]

Ok then , C ++ it is.

Now any recommendations on a good Book/Program for learning it ?

Or should I just walk into a BookStore and get a thick book with a C++ Program Disc that comes with it ?

And yes I am serious.

[Cantaloup]

You might try checking out this page:

http://www.gamedev.net/reference/start_here/

I'll basically echo what everyone else has said: C or C++. C++ encompasses all of C but adds object-oriented features, which is useful for large and complex programs. When you say "assembly language"... I just wanted to make sure you understand there is not just one assembly language; it varies depending on what chip you are programming for. So an assembly language program written for a Pentium will not work on, say, a PowerPC. This is why people usually program in C or C++, as these languages are "portable", meaning it's easier get the code running on different platforms. Also, programming in assembly is often difficult, tedious, and error-prone.

You might want to check out some open source emulators (Sourceforge.net is a good starting place). These have the source code available for you to examine, which is a good way to see how things work.

I don't have any specific books or programs to recommend. To some extent it will depend on what system/OS you are going to develop (or practice) on. But if you have any further questions, I will try to help.