Back Buffer ~ part 1
I assume that you know what a back buffer is (also known as a double or offscreen buffer). If not see wikipedia – Double Buffering. In brief, it’s a byte array used to prepare graphics off-screen to prevent flicker. Once the desired image is complete, it is copied to screen. (more…)

Using Visual C++ Express Edition
Moving from VC6 to Visual C++ Express Edition has thrown up some issues (and no doubt will continue to do so). The following table lists the main problems (and their solutions) I’ve encountered so far. The really nice thing is that these problems could be easily anticipated and users warned, but hey, where’s the fun in that? (more…)

A Double Dispatch Implementation
Well, it just seemed the Christmassy thing to do… implementing, tinkering and refining (?) double dispatch in C++. I’m not sure what idioms it uses… pimpl? visitor? Anyway, for this test, I’ve used “collisions” betweens Rock, Paper, Scissors. (As my recent excursion into Python showed, there are far more efficient methods to check Rock, Paper, Scissors. Here, they’re just used to illustrate a point.) more…