SDL_HINT_POLL_SENTINEL(3)

📦
version 3.4.18 · 9 versions
, in fedora 43, fedora 44

💖 SDL_HINT_POLL_SENTINEL 💖

okay bestie, pull up a chair, we're talking about a hint from the SDL3 FUNCTIONS corner of the manual, and honestly? it's a little bop once you get it. sit with me. 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

SDL_HINT_POLL_SENTINEL — a variable controlling the use of a sentinel event when polling the event queue.

like, it's the lil switch that decides whether your event loop gets a little guard rail or just raw-dogs it. no cap.

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <SDL3/SDL_hints.h>

#define SDL_HINT_POLL_SENTINEL "SDL_POLL_SENTINEL"

there it is. that's the whole vibe. include the header, and the hint's string name is literally "SDL_POLL_SENTINEL". copy-paste it exactly, don't get cute with the spelling 💅

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so here's the tea. when you're polling for events, SDL_PumpEvents is the function that goes out and gathers all the new events from your devices. very demure, very mindful.

but. but. if a device keeps producing new events in between calls to SDL_PumpEvents, then your poll loop can get stuck — like, permanently trapped, just spinning on new events until they finally stop coming. 😭

and where do you notice this the most? moving a high frequency mouse. yeah. your fancy gaming mouse with the silly polling rate is out here holding your event loop hostage. iconic of it, honestly, but also rude.

the variable can be set to the following values:

  • "0" — Disable poll sentinels. 🙈 no guard rail, we die like gamers.
  • "1" — Enable poll sentinels. (default) ✨ the guard rail is UP, bestie, and it's on by default because the SDL girlies care about you.
This hint can be set anytime. literally whenever. set it, change it, vibe check it mid-run, it does not care. 🎀

🌈 AVAILABILITY 🌈

This hint is available since SDL 3.2.0. so if you're on something older, bestie, this is not your moment — go update. 👑

and that's the whole page, fr fr. source: Simple Directmedia Layer, SDL 3.4.18, straight out of the SDL_HINT_POLL_SENTINEL(3) manual. stay hydrated, pump your events responsibly, and don't let the high-frequency mouse win. 🍓💜

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