Epilogue
I feel as though we have just completed a long road trip together! Although I do not know you personally, I have gotten to know many readers and fans of my other books through online forums, so there is a certain feeling of coming full circle at this point. I hope you have found this book not just helpful, but invaluable as a reference and enjoyable to read. I have strived to leave no stone unturned and to cover everything you need to write cutting-edge games with DarkBASIC.
The goal of this book was first and foremost to teach the subject of computer programming, so there are many aspects of DarkBASIC that did not make it into the final book. This was inevitable because there are more than a thousand commands, and many subjects are just too difficult to incorporate into a beginner's book. DarkBASIC is now my favorite gaming language, and I find it a joy to use. My sincere hope is that you find DarkBASIC just as charming and pleasing to use, and that you keep this book by your side while you are writing your next game.
Contacting the Authors
Although every effort was made to ensure that the content and source code presented in this book are error-free, it is possible that errors in print or bugs in sample programs might have missed our scrutiny. Writing a book like this one is a tremendous effort, and with any large project, unintentional errors sometimes show up. Although many checks and review processes are followed before a book goes to print, some errors do occasionally slip by. If you have any problems with the source code, sample programs, or general theory in this book, please let us know. You can contact Jonathan at support@jharbour.com, and Joshua at joshua.smith@delnar.com. We will do our best to help you work though any problems. I also welcome your general comments about the book. I get several hundred e-mails a month from readers, and I respond to every one!
Finally, whether you are an absolute beginner or a seasoned professional, I invite you to join our discussion list on YahooGroups, where you will have an opportunity to share your games, ideas, and questions with other DarkBASIC fans! Membership is free and open to all. Just send an e-mail to the listserver at DarkBasic-GameProgramming-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, or visit the Web site at http://www.yahoogroups.com and search for the list by name. Of course, I also recommend that you visit the DarkBASIC home pages (http://www.darkbasic.com and http://www.darkbasicpro.com) regularly to keep up with the latest developments and any upgrades to the compiler. Also, be sure to check our Web sites for news and updates at http://www.jharbour.com and http://www.delnar.com. We look forward to hearing from you!