SDL_GetCurrentTime(3)

💖 SDL_GetCurrentTime(3) — SDL3 FUNCTIONS 💖

okay bestie so real quick: the manual name is SDL_GetCurrentTime, it lives in the SDL3 functions crew, and it's genuinely one of the most low-key useful little guys in the whole time header. let's get into it 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

SDL_GetCurrentTime — gets the current value of the system realtime clock in nanoseconds since Jan 1, 1970 in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC).

like. it's a clock. it tells you now. but in a very specific unit and a very specific epoch and a very specific timezone vibe. iykyk ⏰✨

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <SDL3/SDL_time.h>

bool SDL_GetCurrentTime(SDL_Time *ticks);

not me pulling out the SDL_Time type like it's nothing. she's the main character of this whole function tbh 💅

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🎀 FUNCTION PARAMETERS 🎀

• ticks — the SDL_Time to hold the returned tick count. that's it. that's the whole parameter list. she doesn't need more, she's efficient, she's iconic 👑

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🦋 RETURN VALUE 🦋

Returns true on success or false on failure — and if it's a false situation, bestie you call SDL_GetError() for more information. do NOT just sit there wondering what happened. the info is right there 💀

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🌈 THREAD SAFETY 🌈

It is safe to call this function from any thread. 🧚

literally any thread. main thread, worker thread, the thread you made at 3am and forgot about — she does not care, she's chill like that. no cap 🫶

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⭐ AVAILABILITY ⭐

This function is available since SDL 3.2.0.

so if you're on anything older than that, ma'am... it's giving "please upgrade" 🙈

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heads up: the realtime clock here is realtime — nanoseconds since Jan 1, 1970, UTC. if you wanted something else, this is not that thing. the manpage says exactly this and nothing more, and we respect the manpage 💜

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and that's the whole page, babe 💖 this little legend came to us via Simple Directmedia Layer, rocking version SDL 3.4.18, dated SDL_GetCurrentTime(3) — obsessed with her, go forth and timestamp things responsibly 🌸💅✨