SDL_CompilerBarrier(3)

💅 SDL_CompilerBarrier(3) 💅

SDL3 FUNCTIONS · the one where we tell the compiler to chill

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✨ NAME ✨

SDL_CompilerBarrier — mark a compiler barrier, bestie. that's it. that's the whole job. 🎀

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <SDL3/SDL_atomic.h>

#define SDL_CompilerBarrier() DoCompilerSpecificReadWriteBarrier()

okay so you just include the header and call the macro, and the macro expands to whatever DoCompilerSpecificReadWriteBarrier() means on your platform. iykyk. 💫

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

So like. A compiler barrier stops the compiler from reordering reads and writes to globally visible variables across the call. That's the vibe. The compiler sees this thing and goes "okay okay i will NOT be moving your memory accesses around it, noted, slay." 💅

⚠️ but listen, and listen carefully, because this is the part everybody gets wrong: this macro only prevents the compiler from reordering reads and writes. It does NOT prevent the CPU from reordering reads and writes. The hardware has its own whole personality and this macro is not talking to it. 😭

However!! all of the atomic operations that modify memory are full memory barriers. so if you need the hardware to behave too, that's where you go. periodt. 👑

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🫶 THREAD SAFETY 🫶

Obviously this macro is safe to use from any thread at any time. no cap. 🧚

But if you find yourself needing this, you are probably dealing with some very sensitive code — be careful!! this is not a casual little macro to sprinkle like glitter, this is main character energy in a dangerous way. 🙈💀

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🌈 AVAILABILITY 🌈

This macro has been available since SDL 3.2.0. so if you're on anything older... babe. upgrade. ⭐

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that's the whole page!! short and iconic, exactly like it should be. 💜

okay bye bestie, this has been SDL_CompilerBarrier(3) from the Simple Directmedia Layer, version SDL 3.4.18 — go forth and barrier responsibly 🎀✨🦋🌸🫶