SDL_HINT_MAC_OPENGL_ASYNC_DISPATCH(3)

💅 SDL_HINT_MAC_OPENGL_ASYNC_DISPATCH(3) — the mac OpenGL deadlock escape hatch ✨

okay bestie, welcome to section 3 of the manual, and today's main character is SDL_HINT_MAC_OPENGL_ASYNC_DISPATCH 🍓 — a hint variable that decides whether dispatching OpenGL context updates should block the dispatching thread until the main thread finishes processing on macOS. yes, on macOS specifically. iykyk 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

SDL_HINT_MAC_OPENGL_ASYNC_DISPATCH — a variable controlling whether dispatching OpenGL context updates should block the dispatching thread until the main thread finishes processing on macOS. no cap 💖

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <SDL3/SDL_hints.h>

#define SDL_HINT_MAC_OPENGL_ASYNC_DISPATCH "SDL_MAC_OPENGL_ASYNC_DISPATCH"

like, that's the whole include + the define, verbatim, don't touch it 💅

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so this variable can be set to the following values, and there are literally two, so this is easy:

• "0" — dispatching OpenGL context updates will block the dispatching thread until the main thread finishes processing. this one is the default, bestie. the default. 🎀
• "1" — dispatching OpenGL context updates will allow the dispatching thread to continue execution. it's giving freedom, it's giving async ⭐

generally you want the default, fr fr. but listen — if you have OpenGL code in a background thread on a Mac, and the main thread hangs because it's waiting for that background thread, but that background thread is also hanging because it's waiting for the main thread to do an update… yeah that's a whole mutual-waiting situationship 😭 and this hint might fix your issue. might! not a promise, just a possibility 💀

the way that these two threads are just standing there waiting for each other… not me crying at 3am over a deadlock 🙈

this hint can be set anytime. whenever. no timing rules. slay 👑

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💜 AVAILABILITY 💜

this hint is available since SDL 3.2.0. so if you're on something older… it's not giving, sorry bestie 🌸

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okay that's the page!! Simple Directmedia Layer energy, SDL 3.4.18 era, and this little manual page has been living here since forever ✨ go forth and un-deadlock your Mac OpenGL threads, you absolute icon 🧚💖🎀