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Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity 2021 - Sixth Edition

Name: Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity 2021 - Sixth Edition
Author: Harrison Ferrone
ISBN: 9781801813945

by Harrison Ferrone

October 2021

Beginner

428 pages

9h 1m

English

Packt Publishing

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Preface
Who this book is forWhat this book coversTo get the most out of this bookGet in touch
Getting to Know Your Environment
Technical requirementsGetting started with Unity 2021Using macOSCreating a new projectNavigating the editorUsing C# with UnityWorking with C# scriptsIntroducing the Visual Studio editorOpening a C# fileBeware of naming mismatchesSyncing C# filesExploring the documentationAccessing Unity's documentationLocating C# resourcesSummaryPop quiz – dealing with scripts
The Building Blocks of Programming
Defining variablesNames are importantVariables act as placeholdersUnderstanding methodsMethods drive actionsMethods are placeholders tooIntroducing classesA common Unity classClasses are blueprintsCommunication among classesWorking with commentsSingle-line commentsMulti-line commentsAdding commentsPutting the building blocks togetherScripts become componentsA helping hand from MonoBehaviourHero's trial – MonoBehaviour in the Scripting APISummaryPop quiz – C# building blocks
Diving into Variables, Types, and Methods
Writing proper C#Debugging your codeUnderstanding variablesDeclaring variablesType and value declarationsType-only declarationsUsing access modifiersWorking with typesCommon built-in typesType conversionsInferred declarationsCustom typesNaming variablesUnderstanding variable scopeIntroducing operatorsArithmetic and assignmentsDefining methodsDeclaring methodsNaming conventionsMethods as logic detoursSpecifying parametersSpecifying return valuesUsing return valuesHero's trial – methods as argumentsDissecting common Unity methodsThe Start methodThe Update methodSummaryPop quiz – variables and methods
Control Flow and Collection Types
Selection statementsThe if-else statementUsing the NOT operatorNesting statementsEvaluating multiple conditionsThe switch statementPattern matchingFall-through casesPop quiz 1 – if, and, or butCollections at a glanceArraysIndexing and subscriptsRange exceptionsListsAccessing and modifying listsDictionariesWorking with dictionary pairsPop quiz 2 – all about collectionsIteration statementsfor loopsforeach loopsLooping through key-value pairswhile loopsTo infinity and beyondSummary
Working with Classes, Structs, and OOP
Introducing OOPDefining classesInstantiating class objectsAdding class fieldsUsing constructorsDeclaring class methodsDeclaring structsUnderstanding reference and value typesReference typesValue typesIntegrating the object-oriented mindsetEncapsulationInheritanceBase constructorsCompositionPolymorphismApplying OOP in UnityObjects are a class actAccessing componentsAccessing components in codeDrag and dropSummaryPop quiz – all things OOP
Getting Your Hands Dirty with Unity
A game design primerGame design documentsThe Hero Born one-pageBuilding a levelCreating primitivesThinking in 3DMaterialsWhite-boxingEditor toolsHero's trial – putting up drywallKeeping the hierarchy cleanWorking with PrefabsLighting basicsCreating lightsLight component propertiesAnimating in UnityCreating animations in codeCreating animations in the Unity Animation windowRecording keyframesCurves and tangentsSummaryPop quiz – basic Unity features
Movement, Camera Controls, and Collisions
Managing player movementMoving the player with the Transform componentUnderstanding vectorsGetting player inputMoving the playerScripting camera behaviorWorking with the Unity physics systemRigidbody components in motionColliders and collisionsPicking up an itemUsing Collider triggersCreating an enemyHero's trial – all the Prefabs!Physics roundupSummaryPop quiz – player controls and physics
Scripting Game Mechanics
Adding jumpsIntroducing enumerationsUnderlying typesWorking with layer masksShooting projectilesInstantiating objectsAdding the shooting mechanicManaging object build-upCreating a game managerTracking player propertiesThe get and set propertiesUpdating item collectionCreating a GUIDisplaying player statsWin and loss conditionsPausing and restarting the game with using directives and namespacesSummaryPop quiz – working with mechanics
Basic AI and Enemy Behavior
Navigating 3D space in UnityNavigation componentsSetting up enemy agentsMoving enemy agentsProcedural programmingReferencing the patrol locations Moving the enemyEnemy game mechanicsSeek and destroy: changing the agent's destinationLowering player healthDetecting bullet collisionsUpdating the game managerRefactoring and keeping it DRYSummaryPop quiz – AI and navigation

Revisiting Types, Methods, and Classes
Access modifiersConstant and read-only propertiesUsing the static keywordRevisiting methodsOverloading methodsref parametersout parametersIntermediate OOPInterfacesAbstract classesClass extensionsNamespace conflicts and type aliasingSummaryPop quiz – leveling up
Introducing Stacks, Queues, and HashSets
Introducing stacksPopping and peekingCommon methodsWorking with queuesAdding, removing, and peekingCommon methodsUsing HashSetsPerforming operationsIntermediate collections roundupSummaryPop quiz – intermediate collections
Saving, Loading, and Serializing Data
Introducing data formatsBreaking down XMLBreaking down JSON Understanding the filesystemWorking with asset pathsCreating and deleting directoriesCreating, updating, and deleting filesWorking with streamsManaging your Stream resourcesUsing a StreamWriter and StreamReaderCreating an XMLWriterAutomatically closing streamsSerializing data Serializing and deserializing XML Serializing and deserializing JSONData roundupSummaryPop quiz – data management
Exploring Generics, Delegates, and Beyond
Introducing genericsGeneric objectsGeneric methodsConstraint type parametersAdding generics to Unity objectsDelegating actionsCreating a debug delegateDelegates as parameter typesFiring eventsCreating and invoking eventsHandling event subscriptionsCleaning up event subscriptionsHandling exceptionsThrowing exceptionsUsing try-catchSummaryPop quiz – intermediate C#
The Journey Continues
Diving deeperRemembering your object-oriented programmingDesign patterns primerApproaching Unity projectsUnity features we didn't coverNext stepsC# resourcesUnity resourcesUnity certificationsHero's trial – putting something out into the worldSummary
Pop Quiz Answers
Other Books You May Enjoy
Index

Overview

Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity 2021 provides a comprehensive and hands-on introduction to C# programming and Unity game development. With this book, you'll progress from basic C# syntax to creating a playable game prototype, mastering both the language and the engine.

What this Book will help me do

Learn fundamental C# programming concepts, such as variables, loops, and object-oriented programming.
Implement Unity features to handle 3D graphics, physics, and animations effectively.
Build playable game prototypes by scripting game mechanics such as player movement and projectiles.
Understand advanced C# features like interfaces, stacks, queues, and serialization.
Gain experience creating interactive game AI to design engaging gameplay.

Author(s)

Harrison Ferrone is a passionate software developer and seasoned technical instructor who specializes in breaking down complex topics into understandable concepts. With deep expertise in C# and Unity, Harrison has guided countless learners through the gaming development process, delivering practical knowledge and skills.

Who is it for?

If you're an aspiring or beginner game developer or programmer looking to build a solid foundation in Unity and C# programming, this book is for you. It is designed for those with either no programming experience or a limited background in game development. The step-by-step approach helps readers gain skills to start independently creating games.

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Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity 2020 - Fifth Edition

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