Index_B

B

Back end, programming tasks associated with, 474

Backbuffer, 163–164, 174

non-flipping, 198

saving, 381

Best practices

active build targets, 106

active controls, cursor shape for, 154

active files, naming, 49

AI code, debugging, 434

APIs, consideration of, 37

art, storing, 253

automated testing, 515

backbuffer, saving, 377

beta testers, employing, 548

breakpoints in debuggers, adding, 416

buffer zones in code, creating, 278

bug numbers, attaching, 546

bugs, commenting, 535

code reviews, 468

compiler bugs, isolating and posting, 455

controls, mapping to devices, 150

coordinates axes, test object for, 440

crashes, fixing, 526

debug and release files, distinguishing between, 105

DEBUG game.ini file, overriding screen options in, 224

Decompression API, using callback with, 260

digital audio, sampling rates for, 254

disappearing bugs, tracking, 441

drive mapping, using, 263

error alerts, creating, 413

experiment-driven debugging, 432

features, importing into games, 262

file format changes, detecting, 265

flipping surfaces, 164

frame rate, calculating, 21

full-screen mode debugging, 422

game defaults, setting, 204

Game_App_Directory, using, 223

hard drive sounds, 259

hardware, understanding, 258

header files, updating, 268

IDirect3DDevice9 class, calling, 336

indexes and files, storing, 259

keyboard input, processing, 138

LOGFONT, displaying fonts with, 184

long file names, compatibility of, 389

macros and build targets, 106

memory allocator, implementing, 276

memory leaks, detecting and reporting, 448

milestone acceptance, budgeting time for, 464

milestone descriptions, creating, 461

multithreaded protection, 59

multithreaded smart pointers, templates for, 59

obese game data, directing, 262

operating system related bugs, fixing, 527

optional<T>, using, 93

personnel, taking care of, 557

pixel operations, 64

programming in teams, 467

RAM, trading load time for, 260

remote debugging, 422

resource cache, organizing, 279

resources, loading, 278

resources, prioritizing, 280

screen management, 140

screen shots, storyboarding with, 475

smart message box system, 374

software, experimenting on, 430

software recovery, 413

sound systems, debugging, 434

sprites, ordering, 190

standard solutions, using, 127

stream constructors, testing, 52

task completion, allowing time for, 485

tasks, estimating time for, 480

text cache, initializing, 204

tooltips, placement of, 155

tradeshow attendance, 8

translations, order of, 299

uncompressed video, moving, 256

video files, backing up, 256

Visual Studio.NET, source directory in, 102

Win32, compatibility documentation of, 382

Win32 function failures, debugging, 414

Z layers, defining, 190

Beta testers, 535–536

Bi-linear filtering, 322

Billboard node, 355

Bin directories, purpose of, 102

Bink Video Tools (RAD Game Tools), 39–41

Bit depth, 19–22, 225

of art, 161, 199

stress testing settings, 500–501

Bit-rate, optical media, 257

BitBlt method, 169

Bitmaps

collision testing, 152–153

drawing, 168–169

storage formats, 252–253

Blitting, 163

BMP format, 166

storing art in, 199

BoundsChecker, 441, 452

Branching, defining, 111

Branching mechanisms, 111–112

Breakpoints, 416–418

Brown, Doug, 77

Buffer zones in code, 277–278

Buffering, 162–164

Bug count, 540

Bug database, 515–526, 560–561

ad-hoc query mechanism, 516–517

backing up, 561

bug description field, 517–519

cause field, 521

content change field, 521

customizable fields in, 525

date and time bug was found, 517

by design field, 521

dev error field, 521

dev missing code field, 521

duplicate field, 521

external change field, 521

external field, 521

file attachments, including, 526

fixed field, 521

functionality of, 519–520

issue type field, 518

machine configuration description field, 517

milestone field, 520

name of who found bug, 517

not reproducible field, 521

not yet implemented field, 521

postponed field, 521

priority field, 520

remote accessibility, 526

resolution field, 521

resolved by field, 520

resolved date field, 520

resolved revision field, 520

revision number field, 517

searching criteria, 516

severity of bug field, 518

specification change/flaw field, 521

statistical analysis of, 531–534

status field, 519

title field, 517

won't fix field, 521

Bug-fixing protocol, adding steps to, 541

Bug reports, 10–11

sample, 522–525

Bugs, 411

"by design" bugs, 492–494, 528–529

compiler-related bugs, 455

corner case types, 493

costs of, 529–531

cut and paste bugs, 451–452

disappearing bugs, 441

drive-related bugs, 454

versus features, 10–11

finding, 544

fixes for, approving, 541–543

fixes for, priority of, 526–528

game data corruption, 448–450

hardware-related bugs, 455

heap corruption, 444–448

longevity of, 542

memory leaks, 444–448

multithreaded bugs, 453–454

operating system related bugs, 454–455

postponing, 554–555

recovering from, 412–413

release mode only bugs, 452–453

reproducing, 433, 491–492, 519

resources, insufficient, 452

retiring, 532

stack corruption, 450–451

tracking down, 433–434

tracking with RAID, 516

types of, 444–455

versioning, 545

volume of, 10–11

"won't fix" bugs, 492–494, 528–529

Build machines, 115–116

backing up, 116

Build scripts

automating, 116–117

creating, 117–121

milestone, 118–121

normal, 117–118

Build settings

automating, 115

post-build, 116

pre-build, 116

Build targets

configurations of, 106

storing, 102–103

Buttons, device-handling code for, 125