   Questions about Libraries and Communities
  Hey,I'm new at game programming, and I have a few quick questions.I do have a good bit of experience with programming, but I'm still not nearly an expert with the languages I know.I'm learning SDL + OpenGL and am using Dev C++~[ ]So what are the advantages of SDL + OpenGL against the other libraries?[ ]When might you consider using a different bit of libraries for your project?[ ]Why aren't there as many communities for SDL + OpenGL as the other libraries?[ ]Vaguely, which libraries have a steep learning curve, which are the easiest, and where does SDL + OpenGL belong?[ ]= still looking for more input[x]= good enough for me :DThank you for reading and for any input ^_^   
  Do not use Dev C++ anymore, Visual Studio Express is free and much better.  Even Code::Blocks is another good option.SDL with OpenGL allows you to develop outside of the Windows platform.I prefer to do as much as I can by myself and usually never resort to using more than a few libs, three max.I don't know, a lot of people here use SDL with OpenGL.3D in general isn't as easy task to someone who lacks certain math skills.  The easiest APIs I've ever used would be in this order:- Allegro- SDL- Direct X- OpenGL with either Allegro or SDL   ;  Why do some developers favor Visual Studio Express over others....Despite the fact that it's free, like other popular choices, it's quite bloated and doesn't seem to have any features that stand out as far as I know.And to be a little more specific, how do more complex games perform with an engine based on the SDL/OpenGL libraries compared to a engine based on things like Allegro/AllegroGL?I've heard SDL + OpenGL together match the end-performance of pretty much any other combination for general purposes, but that forum turned into a flame war, so I want another opinion ^_^I'm not looking for an easy learning curve, I'm looking for the most efficient and powerful setup.   ;  For one, Visual Studio is updated with the standard, Dev C++ hasn't been updated officially for a few years now.The last news posted on Dev C++ site:"February 21th 2005 : Dev-C++ 5 Beta 9.2 (4.9.9.2) released !"From what I know professional studios or other companies usually use Visual Studio, so knowing how to use it will be required when getting a job.  Every professional I know uses Visual Studio at the work place and at home.  I myself have been using Microsoft Visual Studio since BASIC 6.0 was common, way back in 2000 something.SDL with OpenGL allows for the hardware to be used, so yes you can make some pretty good games using it.  However I'm mainly a Direct X user than OpenGL since I develop on Windows anyhow, so I cannot fully state the power of SDL with OpenGL.To be honest it's not very important what tools you use, as long as they meet your requirements and can preform well on your target platforms.If you're looking for the most efficient and powerful setup, I don't see how you can go wrong with using C++ and Direct X or OpenGL.  However a poorly programmed game using the best API can still suffer in terms of efficiency.   ;Quote:Original post by jmpeerWhy do some developers favor Visual Studio Express over others....You should prefer *anything* over Dev-C++, given that it is 4 years since the last release.;  Nonetheless, Dev C++ is not at any particular disadvantage.In fact, a lot of developers still use it.VStudio is commonly used amongst communities with beginners, tutorials, people who don't care about cross-platform development, or people who were formally introduced to programming in school.It's a perfectly respectable program.But degrading DevC++ right now is still in bad tastes.I want to thank you for responding to my questions so quickly.But please don't press on about DevC++ vs VStudio because the very nature, like a lot of choices, is mostly conceptual as I expected.If anyone else knows anything about the performance of SDL + OpenGL vs other libraries in higher-end applications/games on Windows OR how SDL + OpenGL fairs on *nix based systems, please feel free to respond. I'll be checking this for the next few days ^_^**Also, if anyone is pressing for an SDL + OpenGL development community, please, by all means contact me~   ;  You are free to use anything you wish, just as the person next door has the right to drive his old clunker around.  If it gets him to work and back and he's fine with it, then it's no loss to me.Quote:Original post by jmpeerVStudio is commonly used amongst communities with beginners, tutorials, people who don't care about cross-platform development, or people who were formally introduced to programming in school.I'm sorry but you're very wrong here.  I've played around with SDL and OpenGL with Microsoft Visual Studio, never did much programming with it.  Tutorials are not fully locked to one IDE, you can take the Visual Studio stuff out and accomplish the same goal.  I care about cross-platform development, however as of now I don't put time into it because I'm working on Windows development, yet I use Visual Studio.  I've never gone to a programming school, yet I've been using Visual Studio since I started back in the 2000's, which I've used it for Visual BASIC 6.0, Visual C++ 6.0, Visual Studio 2005, Visual Studio 2008.Since you're stating yourself as a new game programmer, I suggest you worry less on getting the most powerful games made and worry more about getting started with games.  If you're unable to produce high quality games, why waste all that time looking into the best API?  You're learning C++ as it is, so you will be set for future development in high end games when the time comes.   ;  You could use GLFW. Its perfect for OpenGL.http://glfw.sourceforge.net/;  My friend, you cannot argue that VStudio is not geared to cushion new programmers.That is why schools use it.That is why so many tutorials are geared towards it.That is why the majority of intro-to-programming books were written with it.That is why most beginner programmers use it essentially.And being a Microsoft product, it's clearly for Windows development, as you said you were working on.I however prefer open source, generally free licensing, and dislike cushioning a learning experience because of its self-destructive nature.Therefore, I prefer to work in all platforms, efficiently made software, and if possible modded to be rid of the pretty face with which Microsoft covers up what I think is a mess.Yet it's still a respectable program because it does its job.That is why you, as you probably felt I called you an amateur with my last comment, still do yours on it.I made it a point that DevC++ should not be turned away,and put VStudio in it's proper place since everyone irrationally defends it here.So just relax, we never had a disagreement... and it was actually geared towards the comment before yours ^_^   ;  The reason that a lot of resources are geared to Visual Studio is because of it's popularity, and it being the standard tool.Visual Studio may be a cushion or whatever you want to call it, however why make it harder for you to build projects and compile them if you don't need to?  I don't see the point.  If this is how you truly think, then forgot about C++ and go back to assembly because C++ is a cushion to "real" programmers of the old "days".If you truly believe it's a "cushioning" learning experience by using Visual Studio, then I would like to know how using Dev C++ as opposed to Visual Studio 2008 increases your knowledge in C++, and makes you more capable in game programming or programming in general?  C++ is C++ regardless of what tool you use as long as you have the current standard which Dev C++ doesn't have. I didn't assume you said I was an amateur, I used myself as an example that I have used cross platform API's along with favoring Visual Studio since back in 2000.  It was to simply state that saying people who don't like cross-platform development use Visual Studio, which isn't true.   