Why Are Pointers Important to Games?

Games use pointers more than most types of programs. LlamaWorks2D hides most of that from you to make it easier for you to get started with game programming. However, even with LlamaWorks2D you'll need to understand the basics of pointers to write professional-quality games. In this respect, LlamaWorks2D is like every other game engine on the market. They all use pointers.

In addition, many important graphics libraries depend heavily on pointers. This is especially true of Microsoft's DirectX. You cannot use DirectX without pointers. OpenGL is the exception; OpenGL uses pointers, but it hides that completely from you. For that reason, beginners usually find it easier to get started with OpenGL than with DirectX.

Sound libraries also rely heavily on pointers. As you might expect, DirectX Audio is a prime example. OpenAL also hides the use of pointers from you. As with OpenGL, beginners find OpenAL easier to learn than DirectX Audio. However, DirectX Audio is much more powerful and flexible than OpenAL.

The long and short of this is that if you want to become a professional game programmer, you must learn to use pointers.

Note

Don't forgetknowing about pointers will help you in Part 5, when we'll really get into the nitty-gritty and create a game from the ground up.