The next installment of the 'Windows game programming for dummies' is ready.
And now you can download at: ftp://68.225.35.57/
We now have direct input examples, enjoy!
filename: fasmw-WGPFD 14.0.rar

I'm going to focus on the FASM DirectX libary for right now (and bug fixes for the current examples), cleaning up the code, updating ALL older examples to use the 'FASMDX.DLL' library, optimizing (and improving) the 'FASMDX.DLL' library to the best of my ability, adding the new functionality (and the second part of the GPDUMB library) of the past few example sets, and finally do a full update of the documentation with some examples. The rest of the Game programming for dummies examples (and two bonus chapters not in the book) are updates of old games using the new library functionality, some simple AI (Artificial Inteligence) and physics examples and a new game or two.

One last thing, Idon, hopefully these examples work for you because I had to use the directInput8 method for these examples to work. I tried to use lesser versions but the examples crashed when i did. Maybe later on I'll try and find out what is causing the trouble, but for right now I couldn't.

Take Care,
MadMatt

remember, you may also download the file from http://www.asmdemon.com/

Hey..
Looks really good! im just trying to start to learn DX programing with fasm... (im a DarkBasic Pro Programer, hehe, what a diference )
Is there a way to no use external dll's ? just to generate an exe ?

Thanks!

Hello metalfishx,
Thanks!, Yeh, I was new to windows programming too when starting these examples, but not 32-bit assembly language. The examples up to chapter 11 use directx directly, but use an older, not so windows friendly DLL for memory clearing, string copying and printing, random numbers, etc. And the chapters following use a much more windows friendly DLL for the above and DirectX functions. The reason I use a DLL for the latter chapters, is because the book uses a library in the same way. The only difference is that his library is included when the source is compiled, and I decided to convert this library to a DLL to greatly reduce code size, and to learn how to make a windows DLL myself . I have include the FULL source to the fasmdx.dll, if you want to have a look at how to make a DLL, and how I (and the book) make DirectX and other funtions work in a library. The only down side is that comments in the DLL source are very few indeed. And right now I'm going to add the second part of the books library (DirectInput, DirectSournd), more generaly purpose functoins, much better commenting, better functionality for existing functions and new functions, optimizations, etc.
So that's the story, and plans for now and the immediate future.

Enjoy the code
MadMatt

P.S. Darkbasic is still around? It's been about two years since i've tried that basic. I'll have to try another byte .

Hey, thanks for the answer..
Well, about darkbasic, yes, is still alive www.thegamecreators.com, even, i have db pro full original , Even included, i have created some dll plugins for dark basic hehe; i know how to make dlls and works with 32 bit assembler (now),. but nothing about directx usage
Im looking at your code, and looks really good.
I ask about the dll, because, you know, sometime is good to make everything in only one exe; and, what you mean with increase the size? hehe, 20? 30? 50? 100, 200k? The game programing languages thats are rounding on the web (DarkBasic, Basic4GL, BlitBasic) for a simple hello world on the screen, needs more than 200k (darkbasic pro, needs 245k for this; just print hello world, and wait for a key press to exit i atach an example so you can se, hehe) size is not a big problem
So, continue with you work; very good.

Cheers.

Well, there is a better reason for making the library in to a DLL besides memory size, which I should have said in my last post, is that eliminates a lot of typing and cutting and pasting. I have a look at your program. thats just one of the reasons I chose to program in Assembly

The tutorial is getting more interesting. I've to put DInput8.dll into the application directory to make it able to working within DX7. But only working for keyboard. May be, it doesn't fit for Joystick and Mouse since it may have different constants or calls in DX8.

BTW, the keyboard example is working wonderfully fast.

Great work madmatt!

i-don.