From: "Steve Chalkley" Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp References: Subject: Re: Global variables and structs? Lines: 57 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Message-ID: Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 22:02:07 -0000 NNTP-Posting-Host: 194.168.10.116 X-Complaints-To: abuse AT net DOT ntl DOT com X-Trace: news2-win.server.ntlworld.com 950911269 194.168.10.116 (Fri, 18 Feb 2000 22:01:09 GMT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 22:01:09 GMT Organization: ntl News Service To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com I'm currently reading "Game Design -Secrets of the Sages" (quite good intro to the games industry) and one of the contributors comments on this specific point. Basically, today you only have one map in your game, tomorrow you might have two or a dozen. Adding the second map will be _really_ unpleasant once the global has spread itself around your code. Do it right from the start, passing parameters is no problem at all, especially if you use classes or structures properly. Post a link to the game when it's done ;-) Nigel Atkinson wrote in message news:A34D5D3BF0DFD2119E3D0008C70840FA04FD90 AT TWZNT11... > I think it depends on the type of data your are talking about.\ > I have in one program for instance a global instance of a class representing > the map in my game. > > There will only every be one instance of this class, and the WHOLE program > is build around it so it makes sence to be global. However use of global > variables should be carefuly considard. Usally the pros. outweigh the cons. > > Nigel Atkinson > > -----Original Message----- > From: Prashant TR [mailto:prashant_tr AT yahoo DOT com] > Sent: Friday, 18 February 2000 07:09 > To: Kalum Somaratna aka Grendel > Cc: djgpp AT Delorie DOT com > Subject: Re: Global variables and structs? > > > On Thu, 17 Feb 2000, Kalum Somaratna aka Grendel wrote: > > > This is true but the calculated use of global variables can help to avoid > > passing many arguments to functions. So using global variables can help to > > simplify the code and also make it easier to understand. But IMHO this > > should be done if you are confident with C/C++. > > Doesn't help most of the times, but creates a nuisance instead. It's a bad > practice to do this. Things like this can be used only for a single > program, certainly not for a large project. > > > > Do it with structs. Then you can pass a pointer to the struct and to > > > the screen and be done with it. > > > > Or better still use a global struct. That way you won't have to pass > > anything at all and it will make writing the code easier. > > Don't think this is a good idea. What Damian has said would get you a > better program. If the array is too large, consider using malloc.