XNA Game-Themed CS1 Lab Workbook

	XNA Game-Themed CS1 Lab Workbook
Computing and Software Systems UW Bothell

XNA Game-Themed CS1 Lab Workbook
	Release 1.5 6/21/2009

This "Laboratory (lab) Workbook" is designed for instructors of introductory programming (CS1) classes. The materials presented uses video game-like ("Game-Themed") examples to reinforce fundamental programming concepts. These game-themed examples are implemented based on a simple library, XNACS1Lib, such that neither the instructors nor the students are required to have any background in computer graphics or games. To begin working with the following materials, you should first follow this link to ensure that you have installed the proper IDE and XNA V3.0.

This workbook is divided into three sections:

Section 1. Tutorials on XNACS1Lib:

This section guides you through the basics of working with XNACS1Lib the then presents simple tutorials on developing slightly more advanced applications.

1.1 Tutorial Guide: overview of tutorials in Sections 1.2 and 1.3.

Overall tutorial guide : general description of the following tutorials.
XNACS1Lib controller/keyboard mapping.

1.2 General Tutorials: simple guide on working with XNACS1Lib:

Tutorial 1 : Application Structure.
Tutorial 2 : Working with Primitives.
Tutorial 3 : Working Primitive Sets.
Tutorial 4 : Working with Audio Files.

1.3 Tutorials from Assignments: developing slightly more advanced applications.

Tutorial for Assignment 1 : on Operators.
Tutorial for Assignment 2 : on Random Number Generator.
Tutorial for Assignment 3 : on Array of Objects.
Tutorial for Assignment 4 : on 2D Arrays.
Tutorial for Assignment 5 : on Class Hierarchies.
Tutorial for Assignment 6 : on Lists And Queues.
Tutorial for Assignment 7 : on Binary Search Trees.

Section 2. XNA Game-Themed CS1 Examples

This section is organized into seven independent topic areas. Instructors can teach their existing CS1 classes without any alterations and assign readings from one of the following topic areas as lab activities, extra readings, and/or assignments. Please follow this link to find out more about XNA Game-Themed CS1 Examples.

2.1 Initial Guide

Overview of a general XNA application..
Overview of a typical XCS1Lib Project.

2.2 Basic IO and Variables

Example 1: Simple Output.
Example 2: Simple Input and Output.
Example 3: Variables.
Example 4: Instance Variables.
Example 5: Rectangle data type.
Example 6: Circle data type.
Example 7: Multiple data types and instances.
Example 8: Multiple rectangles.
Example 9: Floating point addition.
Example 10: Integer and floating point subtraction.
Example 11: Multiplication and percentage.
Example 12: Division and average.
Example 13: Evaluation of simple formula.
Example 14: Working with constants.

2.3 Modules and Functions

Example 1: Simple Function call.
Example 2: Function calls with return value.
Example 3: Functions accessing instance variables.
Example 4: Functions with local variables.
Example 5: Functions as steps in algorithms.
Example 6: Spotlight Example. parabolic free fall:
Example 7: Parameter passing.
Example 8: Spotlight Example.
Example 9: Parameter passing: by reference and by value.
Example 10: Math library functions.

2.4 Decision Structures

Example 1: Simple ball with paddles.
Example 2: Simple floating point comparisons.
Example 3: If statement with simple conditions.
Example 4: If-then-else construct.
Example 5: String comparison.
Example 6: Spotlight example: pong within bounds.
Example 7: Multiple nested conditions.
Example 8: Spotlight example: pong with middle barriers.
Example 9: Case statements.
Example 10: Logical AND operator.
Example 11: Logical OR operator.
Example 12: Spotlight example: a pong soccer game.

2.5 Repetition Structures

Example 1: Empty Zap-Game.
Example 2: Simple while loop.
Example 3: Spotlight example: while loop for sinusoidal curves.
Example 4: Spotlight example: sinusoidal plot with a basketball.
Example 5: Zap-Game: functions in loop body.
Example 6: Simple do-while loop.
Example 7: Spotlight example: with do-while loop.
Example 8: Zap-Game: zap-path with do-while loop.
Example 9: Simple for loop.
Example 10: Zap-Game: zap-path with for loop.
Example 11: For loop with general increment counter.
Example 12: Zap-Game: for loop with position as iterator.
Example 13: Spotlight example: with for loop.
Example 14: Counting backwards.
Example 15: Zap-Game: Count backward from target to hero.
Example 16: Zap-Game: Count backward with while look.
Example 17: Zap-Game: Compound condition in while loop.
Example 18: Nested for loops.
Example 19: Zap-Game: Nested for loop to warp around a block.
Example 20: Nesting while inside a for loop.
Example 21: Zap-Game: final game.

2.6 Arrays

Example 1: Array of integers.
Example 2: Loop through an array.
Example 3: Spotlight example: looping through an array of soccer.
Example 4: Spotlight example: pong-soccer with blocks in an array.
Example 5: Linear search through an array.
Example 6: Spotlight example: pong-soccer with linear search.
Example 7: Parallel arrays.
Example 8: Processing array elements.
Example 9: Copy array and passing array to functions.
Example 10: Spotlight example: pong-soccer with statistics.

2.7 Objects and Classes

Example 1: Simple object instance.
Example 2: Object constructors.
Example 3: Spotlight example: a moving soccer ball.
Example 4: Object design and interaction.
Example 5: Multiple instances of an object.
Example 6: Inheritance: a base class.
Example 7: Inheritance: derived classes.
Example 8: Soccer ball: derived from Circle class.
Example 9: Block: derived from Rectangle class.
Example 10: Breakable block: override behaviors.
Example 11: Array of objects.
Example 12: Pong-soccer with objects.

Section 3: XNA Game-Themed Assignments

This section contains seven sample programming assignment modules. Each module is designed around a "well-known" topic area (e.g., 2D array) and has two accompanied assignments: a console (traditional text-based) version, and a game-themed version. These two versions of the assignment are technically equivalent. The console version can be used as a reference for instructors unfamiliar with graphics or games programming. A sample grading rubric for each version is provided. Please follow this link to find out more about XNA Game-Themed CS1 Examples.

Acknowledgement

This lab workbook is a result from the Game-Themed Introductory Programming Project funded by Microsoft External Research (MSR). We would like to thank our MSR project management team: Lee Dirks, Harold Jarvis, and John Nordlinger for their support. John Nordlinger took the extra effort to understand our results and connected us, through his vast network, with interested colleagues around the world. As a direct result, we were able to present many workshops, receive feedbacks on, and refine/improve the materials presented in this workbook. We want to especially thank Kent Foster for arranging the details of many of our workshops and helping with the final publishing of this workbook. Colleagues at Microsoft XNA team, Boyd Multerer, Bill Wagner, Dave Mitchell, Mitch Walker, and Dave Weller provided us with many invaluable advice and general support over the course of our project. We have benefited from many long philosophical discussions with Michael McMann from Microsoft Education. Lastly, and very importantly, thanks to Ivan Lumala for introducing us to the excellent MSR and XNA teams.

From the University of Washington Bothell: Becky Rosenberg and David Goldstein helped designed and administered student learning assessment instruments; Robin Angotti, and Cinnamon Hillyard helped analyzed and interpreted the assessment results. Ruth Anderson from the University of Washington Seattle was the independent faculty evaluator of the game-themed assignments. Over the course of our project, many colleagues in the field have given us invaluable advices and feedbacks: Richard Anderson, Tiffany Barnes, Magy Seif El-Nasr, Amy and Bruce Gooch, Scott Leutenegger, Mark Lewis, Ian Parberry, Andy Phelps, Peter Shirley, Chris Swain, Scott Wallace, Jim Whitehead, Michael Young, and Michael Zyda. Lastly and very importantly, we thank Jessica Bayliss and her students for the careful and detailed review of materials from Section 2.

Project home page: The Game-Themed Introductory Programming Project.

Kelvin Sung
Computing and Software Systems
University of Washington, Bothell
ksung@u.washington.edu

Michael Panitz
Business And Information Technology
Cascadia Community College
mpanitz@cascadia.eduu

	This work is supported in part by a grant from Microsoft Research under the Computer Gaming Curriculum in Computer Science RFP, Award Number 15871 and 16531.
6/21/2009

This work is supported in part by a grant from Microsoft Research under the Computer Gaming Curriculum in Computer Science RFP, Award Number 15871 and 16531.

18115 Campus Way NE
Bothell, WA 98011-8246
(425) 352-5000
(425) 352-5303 (TDD)

Section 1. Tutorials on XNACS1Lib:

1.1 Tutorial Guide: overview of tutorials in Sections 1.2 and 1.3.

1.2 General Tutorials: simple guide on working with XNACS1Lib:

1.3 Tutorials from Assignments: developing slightly more advanced applications.

Section 2. XNA Game-Themed CS1 Examples

2.1 Initial Guide

2.2 Basic IO and Variables

2.3 Modules and Functions

2.4 Decision Structures

2.5 Repetition Structures

2.6 Arrays

2.7 Objects and Classes

Section 3: XNA Game-Themed Assignments

3.1 Assignment 1: Operators

3.2 Assignment 2: Random Number Generator

3.3 Assignment 3: Array of Objects

3.4 Assignment 4: 2D Arrays

3.5 Assignment 5: Class Hierarchies

3.6 Assignment 6: Lists and Queues

3.7 Assignment 7: Binary Search Trees

Acknowledgement