CONTENTS -- FOREWORD -- LETTER FROM THE SERIES EDITOR -- INTRODUCTION -- Part I: The Basics of Computer Programming -- CHAPTER 1 WELCOME TO DARKBASIC -- Introduction to DarkBASIC -- Features of the DarkBASIC Language -- The DarkBASIC Development Environment -- DarkEDIT:The "Official" External Editor -- DarkMATTER and the DarkBASIC Update -- Introduction to DarkBASIC Professional -- Installing DarkBASIC -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING -- Short Course on Programming -- Video Game Basics -- Writing Your First DarkBASIC Program -- The Command Line Interface -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 3 BASIC COMMANDS, VARIABLES, AND DATA TYPES -- Understanding Variables -- Understanding Data Types -- Working with Basic Commands -- Chapter Project -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 4 CHARACTERS, STRINGS, AND TEXT OUTPUT -- Introduction to Strings and Text Output -- Programming Stings -- Displaying Text on the Screen -- The Gab Lib Game -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 5 LOOPING COMMANDS -- Understanding the Importance of Looping -- Working with Looping Commands -- Sample Project -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 6 MAKING PROGRAMS THINK: BRANCHING STATEMENTS AND SUBROUTINES -- Introduction to Program Logic -- Conditional Logic Statements -- Understanding and Using Subroutines -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 7 MORE POWER TO THE NUMBERS: DATA SEQUENCES AND ARRAYS -- Introduction to Data Sequences and Arrays -- Data Sequences -- Arrays -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 8 NUMBER CRUNCHING: MATHEMATICAL AND RELATIONAL OPERATORS AND COMMANDS -- Mathematical Operators -- Relational Operators -- Basic Math Commands -- Random Numbers -- Reading the Date and Time -- Higher Math Commands -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- Part II: Game Fundamentals: Graphics, Sound, Input Devices, and File Access.

CHAPTER 9 BASIC GRAPHICS COMMANDS -- Graphics in Abundance! -- System and Video Card Commands -- Display Mode Commands -- Taking DarkEDIT for a Spin -- Basic Graphics Programming -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 10 GAME GRAPHICS: LEARNING TO USE BITMAPS -- Introduction to Bitmaps -- Creating and Loading Bitmaps -- Bitmap Information Commands -- Basic Bitmap Commands -- Special Effects Commands -- ImageShuffle:A Complete Bitmap-Based Game -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 11 THE ART OF USING ANIMATED SPRITES FOR 2D GAMES -- Introduction to Sprites -- Creating and Loading Sprites -- Sprite Properties -- Drawing and Moving Sprites -- The All-Powerful Game Loop -- Detecting Sprite Collisions -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 12 PROGRAMMING THE KEYBOARD, MOUSE, AND JOYSTICK -- Introduction to User Input -- Keyboard Commands -- Mouse Commands -- Joystick Commands -- Defining Control Devices -- Force Feedback -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 13 ADDING SOUND EFFECTS TO YOUR GAME -- Introduction to Sound -- Creating and Loading Sounds -- Playing Sounds -- Panning and Volume Control -- Sound Properties -- Positional Sound -- Chapter Project:The AudioMatch Game -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 14 PLAYNING SOME TUNES: CD AUDIO, MIDI, AND MP3 MUSIC -- Introduction to Background Music -- Loading Music Files -- Playing Background Music -- Music Playback Properties -- Introduction to Digital CD Audio -- Chapter Project:The MusicJukebox Program -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 15 LOADING AND SAVING INFORMATION USING FILES -- Introduction to File Input/Output -- Drive and Directory Commands -- Introduction to Files -- Basic File Commands -- File Input/Output Commands -- Using the Clipboard -- Chapter Project:The GuessingGame Program -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHPATER 16 PLAYING INTRO MOVIES AND CUT-SCENES -- Introduction to Movies.

Loading and Playing Movie Files -- Changing the Position and Size of a Movie -- Movie Trailers -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- Part III: Advanced Topics: 3D Graphics and Multiplayer Programming -- CHAPTER 17 FUNDAMENTALS OF 3D GRAPHICS PROGRAMMING -- Introduction to 3D Graphics -- Basic 3D Graphics Commands -- Lighting the Scene -- The 3D Camera -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- CHAPTER 18 MULTIPLAYER PROGRAMMING: THE CRAZY CARNAGE GAME -- Introduction to Multiplayer Games -- Packet Transport -- Establishing a Network Game -- Passing the Data -- Additional Multiplayer Commands -- Memory Blocks -- The Crazy CARnage Game! -- Summary -- Chapter Quiz -- EPILOGUE -- Contacting the Authors -- Part IV: Appendixes -- APPENDIX A: ANSWERS TO THE CHAPTER QUIZZES -- APPENDIX B: RECOMMENDED BOOKS AND WEB SITES -- Recommended Books -- Recommended Web Sites -- APPENDIX C: ASCII CHART -- APPENDIX D: GUIDE TO THE CD-ROM -- Source Code Files -- DarkBASIC Premier Trial Edition -- DarkBASIC Professional Demo Version -- DirectX 8.1 Runtime -- Demo Versions of Games -- Trial Versions of Software -- INDEX -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X-Z.