The structure of the Mach5 engine

Throughout this book, we will be using design patterns to solve common game programming problems. The best way to do this is by example, and so we will be examining how these problems arise and implementing the solutions using the Mach5 engine, a 2D game engine designed in C++ by Matt Casanova. By looking at the entire source code for a game, we will be able to see how many of the patterns work together to create powerful and easy-to-use systems.

However, before we can pe into the patterns, we should spend a little time explaining the structure of the engine. You don't need to understand every line of source code, but it is important to understand some of the core engine components and how they are used. This way we can better understand the problems we will be facing and how the solution fits together.

While looking at the diagram, it may seem a little confusing at first, so let's examine each piece of the engine separately.