Rom's Rants: [XNA] VB Template For XNA Application

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

[XNA] VB Template For XNA Application

Here's a simple template you can use after installing XNA Game Studio Express Edition so you can start coding your XNA apps in VB 2005.

1) Create an empty VB 2005 project.
2) Add references to Microsoft.Xna.Framework and Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game. Both should be in the GAC.
3) Add a module named Program.vb.

Code:

Module Program

    Sub Main()
        Using game As New Game
            game.Run()
        End Using
    End Sub

End Module

4) Add a class named Game.vb.

Code:

Imports Microsoft.Xna.Framework
Imports Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Audio
Imports Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Components
Imports Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics
Imports Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Input
Imports Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Storage

Public Class Game
    Inherits Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game

    Dim graphics As Components.GraphicsComponent

    Private Sub InitializeComponent()
        graphics = New Components.GraphicsComponent
        GameComponents.Add(graphics)
    End Sub

    Public Sub New()
        InitializeComponent()
    End Sub

    Protected Overrides Sub Update()
        ' The time since Update was called last
        Dim elapsed As Double = ElapsedTime.TotalSeconds
        ' TODO: Add your game logic here
        ' Let the GameComponents update
        UpdateComponents()
    End Sub

    Protected Overrides Sub Draw()
        If Not graphics.EnsureDevice Then Return

        graphics.GraphicsDevice.Clear(Color.CornflowerBlue)
        graphics.GraphicsDevice.BeginScene()

        ' TODO: Add your drawing code here

        ' Let the GameComponents draw
        DrawComponents()

        graphics.GraphicsDevice.EndScene()
        graphics.GraphicsDevice.Present()
    End Sub
End Class

There. You now have a functioning XNA game skeleton.

posted by Michael Russell at 8/30/2006 11:25:00 AM

1 Comments:

Sam Kalman said...: I haven't jumped on the XNA Express bandwagon yet, but judging from the vb code, it looks like all you have to write is some graphics code and game logic code. Couldn't be that bad, I say!

How robust are the XNA libraries?; 8/30/2006 4:34 PM