Getting Started¶
Note
Objectives:
- Explain the differences between a compiler, interpreter, and assembler.
- Analyze some techniques one can utilize to produce concise and clear flowcharts from pseudo code.
- Determine the necessary steps to install the Microsoft compiler and Dark GDK package.
- Explain some of the graphic supported functions within the Dark GDK.
Welcome to GSP115, Introduction to Programming in C++ with Lab. We will be exploring the world of computers, and learn how to control them with programs you develop all by yourself! This can be a very rewarding course, but you need to learn a few things and unlearn a few things as well!
How we will run the course¶
This course goes pretty quickly, and covers a lot of material. The basic syllabus is posted on the school website, and you should review that document to make sure you know the basic schedule. Since we have two holidays this term, we will need to make up for lost days. We will discuss this in class during our first meeting.
Setting up our tools¶
Before we can get very far in the course, we need to make sure we have a suitable working environment set up. For this course, this means you have an IBM PC (or a MAC running a suitable Virtual Machine product like Fusion, or Parallels Desktop) with a recent version of Microsoft Windows installed. My system has a 64 bit version of Windows 7 installed, and I do most of my teaching using VMware Workstation where I set up a system with just those tools needed for the course.
Installing Visual C++ 2008 (Express Edition)¶
See also
Text: Appendix A
In this lecture, we will install the tools needed to work problems for this course. We will use a freely available version of C++ provided with the text, and available from Microsoft directly.
Warning
The Microsoft web site currently has the 2010 edition of this software available. It appears that the DarkGDK tools we will be using will not work work with this edition, so make sure you use the version provided with the textbook!
Step 1: Installing Visual C++ Express Edition¶
Using the DVD in the textbook, start the installation.
Note
If your system does not start the install automatically when you insert the DVD, open up Windows Explorer and navigate to the DVD files. You can double-click on autorun.exe to start the process.
Once the installation starts, you will be greeted with this screen:
Click on Visual C++ 2008 to continue with the installation. The installer will uncompress the files needed:
Once this has finished, the basic installation screen will appear:
Click on Next to start.
Ahhh! My favorite screen. You should read through one of these at some point. It will cure you of ever doing it again! Click on the required check-box, then Next.
I elected to skip the additional features, since they are not needed for this class. Click on Next to continue.
This screen controls where the program will install. Since this is a Microsoft product, I recommend leaving the installation in the default location shown. Click on Install after making sure you have enough space available!
The installation will not start. It will take several minutes to complete:
Once it has finished, you will see the final screen. Once this has been done, start the program so it can complete its setup process. All you need to do is start it, and shut it down when you see this:
Note
You start the program using Start ‣ Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition ‣ Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition. You might drag this menu to the Quick Launch bar at the bottom of your screen, or create a shortcut to this selection to make starting the program easier in the future.
Step 2: Installing DirectX SDK¶
Follow the instructions provided at the start of the class to download the required version of the DirectX drivers. These are needed to enable our graphics code to work with DarkGDK. Double-click on the file you downloaded to start the installation:
Next, accept the license:
Once again, we need to uncompress files before we install things:
The installer uncompresses in a temporary location.
Note
After a while these kinds of file litter your system. A disk cleanup will get rid of these files.
Once everything is ready, the installer will say it is ready:
Click on Next:
We sure seem to need to do this a lot. Click on the box and then Next:
This next screen lets you control where the files will be installed. In the original notes, Visual Studio did not seem to know where the include files were located. I did not have a problem with this setup (but I did use the default locations for everything!)
Now, we have a fairly long wait while the code installs:
At the end of the installation, this screen popped up. It is a know problem that we can ignore. Just click on the OK button.
With any luck the installer will complete with this message:
Step 3: Installing DarkGDK¶
The last major piece of software we need is the DarkGDK software. This library of code will make building graphics programs much easier so we can focus on learning how to write programs!
Download the required file using the earlier notes, then start the installer:
Click on Next:
Now we satisfy yet more lawyers!
The installer is nor ready to go! Click on Next to start the real install:
Here, we have a chance to place the software somewhere else. Leave the default settings for now:
This screen controls where the tools will appear in the menu system. Leave these as is and click on Next:
Time for another break. The software will install as needed.
Yeah! The final screen. Everything is in place!
Step 4: Testing the tools¶
Before we move on, we need to run the code and make sure everything works. To do this, open up Visual C++ as we did before. Click on File --> New Project. You will see this screen:
Select DarkGDK - 2D Game and set the project names as shown at the bottom of this screen. Then click on OK:
You should see the example demo code files listed on the left side of the window. If you see these, then click on Build --> Build Solution. If everything is working correctly, you should see these messages at the bottom of the window:
Note
If you see anything else, please email me and copy the message you see into your email. I will help you figure out what is wrong!
Finally, click on Debug --> Start Debugging. If everything works, you should see something like this pop up:
Finally! We have tools we can use for the course!
