Saturday, October 30, 2010

Check Out Visual Basic Game Programming for Teens for $13.29

Visual Basic Game Programming for Teens Review



Overall I find this book good at what it advertises to be, a tour through the process of making a DirectX game in VB that would be very interesting and appealing to a novice programmer (teen). The game is a simplified 2d rpg/adventure game, called `Celtic Crusader'. While functional, in the interest of simplicity and time by the author's own words it isn't a fully featured game, it lacks features such as character inventory or network play.

If you are looking for detailed information on DirectX, this is not the book. This book does not explain the DirectX methods used, or even display their signatures, it just tells you what the routine you are coding does as a whole, and gives you the code.

I currently work in VB.Net, but I am experienced in the last few incarnations of VB, so the conversion of the provided code examples into VB.Net is not much of a problem. I would say someone familiar with VB.Net but without experience in VB6 will not have much problem; in fact the DirectX method calls in VB.Net are more logical than in VB6.

For example
d3ddev.Present(ByVal 0, ByVal 0, 0, ByVal 0)
becomes
d3ddev.Present(Handle.zero,Handle.zero, 0, Handle.zero)

If you pay attention to the intellisense balloons then the DirectX method calls are fairly easy to figure out.

The author doesn't fully qualify all his references, so be aware and supply the appropriate qualifacation for the constants. Be sure to Imports DxVBLibA

For example
d3dpp.SwapEffect = D3DSWAPEFFECT_DISCARD
becomes
d3dpp.SwapEffect = CONST_D3DSWAPEFFECT.D3DSWAPEFFECT_DISCARD

The VB side of the code is the same (an If-Then is still If-Then) except that you will need to recognize form events as such by their names instead of their handles keyword.

The DirectX8 for Visual Basic type library reference is still available with DirectX9.0c in VB.Net (just look under the Com tab when adding the reference) and seems to work fine in XP (I have tried it on 3 different machines.) I have not worked through the entire book yet, but so far I have not had any problems with compatibility.

This book is thinner than the typical programming book (tome) you normally find. It leads the reader directly through the creation of this adventure game, cutting out many side details as mentioned earlier. However, I find it delivers enough to create a decent working game, and a nice resource for a programmer looking for straightforward code examples.




Visual Basic Game Programming for Teens Overview


Get ready to create your first complete 2D-based role-playing game using Visual Basic 6.0. If you have experience using Visual Basic, you already have the essential skills that you need. You will learn, step by step, how to construct each part of an RPG game using DirectX components such as Direct3D. As you work your way through the book, you will write short programs that demonstrate the major topics in each chapter. Dive into the exciting world of game programming, learn how to write your own code, and take complete creative control over how your game operates. Let your imagination loose as you create amazing new adventures!


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Tough book to learn from - D. Wilkening - Palo Alto, CA
I have tried to wade through this book twice and haven't been able to get far. The explanations are either missing or opaque. The author has you typing commands that you don't understand, then he tells you not to worry if you don't understand what you are doing. Not very helpful! There really is no reason he can't explain what some of the commands mean. In short, this book is a frustrating waste of time and one learns little about game programming. I am now looking for a replacement.



Agree with the last review - Sammy - Boston, MA
Ok, yes, 2005? VB6??? Are you aware that Microsoft has discontinued selling and supporting this software?? This software was first published in 1999!!! Find a book that is using a little bit more of state of the art technology. This one is a waste of time and money.






VB6 is alive and well! - Walid Abdi - Riverside, CA United States
Don't believe those that tell you VB is dead, vb is still alive and well! Just look at Microsoft Access 2003(A database program)when you build advance coding in it you are using vb language,even in the latest Access edition, VB is still there. Just visit your local book store, you will still see VB books out there. Another proof that VB is still alive, look at many E-commerce shopping carts, many of them are build in VB, and they are functioning with great precision.
The book is intended for the teenager that wants to explore programming in a fun, and easy method, and Vb can deliver that without advance codes that will make a teenage kid left in the dark. It will give them the opportunity to learn to write simple executable codes, once they do that, then they can move on to Vb.net or C++. And with that, the author would accomplish his/her mission, and that is teaching a young mind.
Go ahead buy the book, play with the codes, and have fun!


*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 30, 2010 07:00:06

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Great Price for $2.75

Dinosaurs (Find-It-Quick Guides) Review



This book is an excellent learning tool for all ages aboutdinosaurs. Within this book you learn about roughly twelve differentdinosuars. You learn what they eat, how big they are, interesting facts about each one. They even break-down how to say each ones name. The part that I liked was how they try to bring to scale how big things were on a dinosaur compared to a human. For example, did you know that "the plates on a Stegosaurus's back were so huge that you could have used one as a comfortable backrest?".

At the end of this book, they list "fast facts" about some of the dinosaurs. Within that information they list the height, weight, speed, special body parts, and other things. At the very end of the book they have a "puzzle" section, which tests what you have learned.

I bought this book for my young daughter, for when she gets older to learn from. However, I must admit I learned a few things from reading it first. I would also recommend the following books in the series: Sharks, Insects, and Snakes.

I hope that this review was helpful to you. Again this is a wonderful learning tool for a person of any age.




Dinosaurs (Find-It-Quick Guides) Overview


Explore the lost world of dinosaurs! Fun facts and excellent illustrations take you on an informative and entertaining journey into prehistoric animal life. The most up-to-date information on the varieties, habits, evolution, and extinction of dinosaurs can be found in the main text and amusing cartoon side bars. The ever-popular T-Rex, Stegosaurus, and Apatosaurus are studied in-depth. Kids also learn about the scientists and technology that help us to understand what took place so long ago.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 20, 2010 20:30:07

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Check Out Command and Conquer Red Alert, Strategy Guide for PC Cd-Rom Version for $19.99

Command and Conquer Red Alert, Strategy Guide for PC Cd-Rom Version Review



The ONLY problem with this book is the maps arn't in color but I don't mind. This book has everything for the game. I beet the Solviet and got to level 13 on the Allieds (until it got stolen). It's the best book




Command and Conquer Red Alert, Strategy Guide for PC Cd-Rom Version Overview


  • The fate of the world is in your hands! Detailed maps and strategy- complete every Soviet and Allied mission
  • Master all Units- spies, destroyers, MiGs, subs, and more. Extensive multiplayer coverage- crush enemies by modem, network, or the internet
  • Complete terrain editor guide- custom-build your own battle maps. Quick troubleshooting reference- keeps the action coming



Command and Conquer Red Alert, Strategy Guide for PC Cd-Rom Version Specifications


Lee Buchanan and Stephen Schafer show you everything you need to know to beat Command and Conquer Red Alert. Not only do you get basic information on all game resources but also user tips, advice on general military strategies, and step-by-step guides to completing every combat mission. Of course, winning is tougher when you're playing against other people instead of the program. But for that situation you'll find complete information on playing over networks, plus lessons on creating your own battlefields with Red Alert's Terrain Editor. A well-rounded resource.

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Build lots of tanks - Michael Casey - Brisbane, CA United States
Did you read the title to this review? Good, now you don't need to buy the official RA strategy guide - that's all the good advice it offers, other than absurdly obvious things like "Don't kill the friendly medic" and "Avoid the flame turrets".

If the whole guide was full of examples like those two, it might be worth buying for amusement factor. But no. Those 240 pages aren't just awful, they're uncreatively awful. The mission walkthroughs give you no specific strategies and are indistinguishable except for the maps.

This book also has pep talk. "Give 'em hell, commander comrade comrade commander." This is a STRATEGY GUIDE for crying out loud! I don't want to hear about how we need to give 110% and there's no I in Team. But then, since there isn't much offered in the way of good tactics, maybe this guide could be seen as a self help book rather than a guide.

The list of units and structures was copied from the instruction manual, unchanged except for:

-the addition of unit stats that would be useful except they're incomplete
-the insertion of the phrase "eh, comrade?" in key places
-larger font and spacing

Okay, the maps. The maps aren't bad (I don't see why people want them in color; it would be pretty, sure, but would make the book cost three times as much and wouldn't help any). I liked the maps because I got to see what was going on in all those areas you aren't able to explore (aha! so there was a bunch of snow there!) and because I got to see the computer's starting forces (not that that's useful, I just liked to see them). They also had some use in forming my own strategies.

This is the worst strategy guide I ever read. The best strategy guide I ever read, somewhat ironically, is the unofficial RA guide, superior to this one in every respect except for the maps.



Reasonably good, could have been better - Lisa Shea -
As gaming guide for bellaonline.com, I spend a good portion of my time testing games and reading the strategy guides to see if I missed anything. I *love* Red Alert as a game, but this book doesn't quite do justice to it. The maps they give you are pretty hideous, and the descriptions they give of the solutions to missions are often extremely vague. I realize it's hard to do a walkthrough for a game like this, but there are usually methods that work very well for a mission, and they simply don't give you those details. The first 60 pages are wasted on troop reviews! I like their tip system, and feel they were on the right track ... they just didn't quite get there.



WAS SHAKEN TANYA BABY? - -
I'M JUST A GUY NAMED STEWIE I LOVE TO SING FOR EXAMPLE:MEOW!MEOW!MEOW!MEOW!MEOW!MEOW!MEOW!MEOW! MEOW!MEOW!AND ANOTHER EXAMPLEIS:LA!LA!LA!LA!LA!LA!LA!LA!LA!




*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 19, 2010 11:45:05

Monday, October 18, 2010

Great Price for $14.20

Cut, Paste and Surf!: Student's Book: ICT Exercises for Key Stage 3 Mathematics (Cut, Paste & Surf!) Review






Cut, Paste and Surf!: Student's Book: ICT Exercises for Key Stage 3 Mathematics (Cut, Paste & Surf!) Overview


Here, activities and instructions in the student book are used in tandem with templates and resources on the CD-ROM. Exercises cover ICT skills and Maths themes specified in the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum and Framework for Maths. Skills progression enables use from Year 7 to Year 9. Simple point-and-click operation and extensive teacher notes on the CD-ROM make the exercises easy to access and easy to use. Data, text and images from the CD-ROM can be transferred easily onto the school network or individual computers, thereby allowing whole class teaching or small group work using the exercises and instructions from the textbook.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 18, 2010 07:15:05

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Check Out Career Building Through Alternate Reality Gaming (Digital Career Building) for $25.97

Career Building Through Alternate Reality Gaming (Digital Career Building) Review







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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 17, 2010 10:45:04

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Check Out Careers in Artificial Intelligence (Cutting-Edge Careers) for $5.12

Careers in Artificial Intelligence (Cutting-Edge Careers) Review






Careers in Artificial Intelligence (Cutting-Edge Careers) Overview


ReadHowYouWant publishes a wide variety of best selling books in Large Print and Super Large Print formats in partnership with leading publishers. EasyRead books are available in 11pt and 13pt. type. EasyRead Large books are available in 16pt, 16pt Bold, and 18pt Bold type. EasyRead Super Large books are available in 20pt. Bold and 24pt. Bold Type. You choose the format that is right for you.

This book takes a comprehensive look at the seriousness and impact of suicide on individuals, communities, and the greater society. Beginning with a look at different types of suicide throughout history, this book launches into discussions on the culture of suicide, reasons people take their own lives, and how to cope with a suicide. The author devotes entire chapters to depression and suicidal warning signs, and relays options for young people seeking help. Replete with scenarios, the author puts a human face on a generally taboo subject and gives hope to both the depressed teen who is considering taking his or her own life and those who have lost a loved one through suicide.

To find more titles in your Large Print or Super Large Print format, Search in Books using EasyRead and the size of the font that makes reading easier and more enjoyable for you.




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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 16, 2010 12:15:05

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Check Out Extending Word Processing (Exam Success in Word Processing)

Extending Word Processing (Exam Success in Word Processing) Review






Extending Word Processing (Exam Success in Word Processing) Overview


The second of three books in a series which prepares students for the full range of RSA Word Processing examinations. Each book provides progressive practice material and mock examinations, and a pull-out section for students to fill in, to form a glossary of word-processing commands.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 14, 2010 09:15:06

Monday, October 11, 2010

Check Out ICT for WJEC GCSE

ICT for WJEC GCSE Review






ICT for WJEC GCSE Overview


"Information and Communication Technology for WJEC GCSE" has been written by an experienced teacher and author to support students of the course. The main content of the specification is covered through an accessible narrative and features up-to-date case studies, activities and exam-style questions. The project and portfolio units are also supported.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 11, 2010 03:00:05

Friday, October 8, 2010

Great Price for

Making the Most of Office 97 for IBT III (Rsa) Review






Making the Most of Office 97 for IBT III (Rsa) Overview


This work helps students build on their knowledge of Office 97 applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases and automated presentations, while providing a guide to RSA's IBT III award.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 08, 2010 09:15:05

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Check Out The History of the Internet and the World Wide Web (Internet Library)

The History of the Internet and the World Wide Web (Internet Library) Review



Remember when you first got on the internet? If you are not a techie (I am not one) it can be pretty scary, loaded with lots of terms and procedures that are taken for granted by so many and explained by so few to the uninitiated.

Art Wolinsky's "History of the Internet and the World Wide Web" and the other books in the "Internet Library series" offer a very friendly introduction to what the internet is all about. We are homeschoolers and I would recommend it to other homeschoolers, but anyone of any age will find it useful and helpful.

The books are well-written and use very little jargon, unless Wolinsky first explains the jargon to you. My early elementary-aged son (who is a very good reader) and I enjoyed them very much; he's read all four books, I've only read two of them all the way through. They are geared toward late elementary and junior high or early high school readers, I'd say.

Wolinsky uses humor and very clear illustrations. This subject could be really dead dull; but not in these books. They are absolutely wonderful. And for those reluctant readers in your family, each book is about 64 pages long, so they don't get too much information in one gulp.

I highly recommend any or all of the books in the Internet Library series. I would start with this one, then read "Communicating on the Internet" and "Locating and Evaluating Information on the Internet", and lastly read the "Creating and Publishing Web Pages on the Internet." We found that they built on one another, so that the last book was like a field trip at the end of a school year. Good fun, especially for homeschoolers and other lovers of learning.




The History of the Internet and the World Wide Web (Internet Library) Overview


Traces the development of the Internet as a resource from its roots in the late 1960s, as well as the growth of the World Wide Web as a part of everyday life.


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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 07, 2010 10:45:05