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University of Colorado System

Introduction to C# Programming and Unity

University of Colorado System via Coursera

Overview

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This course is all about starting to learn how to develop video games using the C# programming language and the Unity game engine on Windows or Mac. Why use C# and Unity instead of some other language and game engine? Well, C# is a really good language for learning how to program and then programming professionally. Also, the Unity game engine is very popular with indie game developers; Unity games were downloaded 16,000,000,000 times in 2016! Finally, C# is one of the programming languages you can use in the Unity environment.

This course doesn't assume you have any previous programming experience. Don't worry if you've never written code before; we'll start at the very beginning and work our way up to building small games by the end of the course. Throughout the course you'll learn core programming concepts that apply to lots of programming languages, including C#, and you'll also learn how to apply those concepts when you develop games.

Computer programming is really fun in general, and programming games is even better!

Caution: Beginning (assuming no prior programming knowledge) is not the same as easy (not hard to do). Learning to program IS hard to do, especially since this course is essentially the first half of a freshman-level college course. Meeting the course challenges while you master the material will be rewarding to you, but doing that will require hard work and maybe even a few expletives along the way.

Module 1: Write your first C# console application and Unity script
Module 2: Learn how we store data in our programs
Module 3: Learn how we use classes and objects to implement our code
Module 4: Learn the basics of Unity 2D games and take "Final Exam"

“Unity” is a trademark or registered trademark of Unity Technologies or its affiliates in the U.S. and elsewhere.

This course is an independent work and is not sponsored by, authorized by, or affiliated with Unity Technologies or its affiliates

Syllabus

  • Starting to Program
    • In this module, you'll learn about the course and get Unity installed and configured. You'll write your first C# console application and your first C# script in Unity.
  • Data Types, Variables, and Constants
    • In this module, you'll learn how information is stored in the computer using binary and you'll learn how data types tell us how to interpret the bits and memory and what operations we can perform on those bits. You'll also learn about the most commonly-used numeric types in C#, you'll get some practice reading documentation (which programmers do all the time!), and you'll learn how to use the debugger to find and fix bugs in your code.
  • Classes and Objects
    • In this module, you'll learn the foundational concepts in the Object-Oriented (OO) paradigm. This paradigm is incredibly useful in game development, because it models our software system as a set of software objects that interact with each other. Those concepts map nicely to games, which typically include lots of game entities that interact with each other. You'll learn how to actually use classes and objects in your code as well.
  • Unity 2D Basics
    • In this module, you'll learn some of the basic ideas behind using Unity to develop 2D games. You'll also learn how we can make decisions in our code.

Taught by

Dr. Tim "Dr. T" Chamillard

Reviews

5.0 rating, based on 1 Class Central review

4.6 rating at Coursera based on 2332 ratings

Start your review of Introduction to C# Programming and Unity

  • Profile image for Raivis Joksts
    Raivis Joksts
    Good intro to C# in context of Unity game development. For someone completely new to programming, though, it might be helpful to take a dedicate intro to programming course beforehand, as here the practical examples have some code use that is not fully covered in lectures, and while that in no way is limiting ones ability to complete the exercises, it might take extra self-stduy effort to fully understand why and how things are working out.

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