SDL_COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(3)

💖 SDL_COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT 💖

okay bestie, welcome to SDL_COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT, straight out of the SDL3 functions crew. it's a compile-time assertion macro and honestly? she's giving "I catch your mistakes before your code even runs" energy. 👑

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <SDL3/SDL_stdinc.h>

#define SDL_COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(name, x) FailToCompileIf_x_IsFalse(x)

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so like, this macro checks constant values _known to the compiler at build time_ for correctness, and if they're wrong it straight up ends the compile with an error. no runtime drama, no sneaky bugs slipping through — the compiler just says "girl, no." 💅

most of the time you use these to verify basic truths, like the size of a datatype being exactly what you expect:

SDL_COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(uint32_size, sizeof(Uint32) == 4);

the name parameter must be a valid C symbol, and it must be unique across all compile-time asserts in the same compilation unit (that's one run of the compiler, iykyk), or the build might fail with cryptic errors on some targets. 😭 not cute, not fun, just chaos. this is all done with a C language trick that works on older compilers that don't support better assertion techniques — she's vintage, she's reliable, she's doing her best. 🎀

and if you need an assertion that operates at runtime, on variable data? bestie, go try SDL_assert instead. different girl, different job. 🫶

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🌸 MACRO PARAMETERS 🌸

• name — a unique identifier for this assertion. make it iconic, make it yours, just make it unique. 💖
• x — the value to test. must be a boolean value. no vibes-based values allowed, fr fr.

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💀 THREAD SAFETY 💀

this macro doesn't generate any code to run. like, zero. none. it's purely a build-time thing, so there's literally nothing to race. slay. ✨

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🌈 AVAILABILITY 🌈

this macro is available since SDL 3.2.0. she's new-ish, she's thriving. 👑

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👀 SEE ALSO 👀

• SDL_assert(3)

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Simple Directmedia Layer 🦋 SDL 3.4.18 🎀 SDL_COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(3)

okay that's the whole page bestie, mwah, go assert something at compile time and text me when it builds 💖✨🫶