SDL_JoystickOpen(3)

💖 SDL_JoystickOpen(3) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the SDL API Reference — yes we're doing joystick lore today 🎮✨

✨ NAME ✨

SDL_JoystickOpen — opens a joystick so you can actually use it 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include "SDL.h"

SDL_Joystick *SDL_JoystickOpen(int index);

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So like, this opens a joystick for use inside SDL. No cap. The index is literally referring to the N'th joystick on the system — like, joystick number N, that's the vibe. And here's the thing bestie: a joystick must be opened before it can be used. You can't just start reading axes off it, that's not how any of this works. Open it first, then we talk. periodt 🫶

💀 RETURN VALUE 💀

It hands you back a SDL_Joystick structure when it slays (success ✨), and NULL when it does not (failure 😭). Check for NULL, I'm begging you.

🔥 EXAMPLES 🔥

SDL_Joystick *joy;
// Check for joystick
if(SDL_NumJoysticks()>0){
  // Open joystick
  joy=SDL_JoystickOpen(0);

  if(joy)
  {
    printf("Opened Joystick 0
");
    printf("Name: %s
", SDL_JoystickName(0));
    printf("Number of Axes: %d
", SDL_JoystickNumAxes(joy));
    printf("Number of Buttons: %d
", SDL_JoystickNumButtons(joy));
    printf("Number of Balls: %d
", SDL_JoystickNumBalls(joy));
  }
  else
    printf("Couldn't open Joystick 0
");

  // Close if opened
  if(SDL_JoystickOpened(0))
    SDL_JoystickClose(joy);
}

like… this is the whole ritual. check if there's even a joystick (SDL_NumJoysticks()>0), open index 0, and if you actually got a joy back, flex by printing the name, axes, buttons and balls 🍓. if not, you print that you couldn't open it, no drama. then you close it if it was opened — because leaving it open is not the move, bestie 🧚

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• SDL_JoystickClose

and that's the whole page, mwah 💋

this lil tutorial came to you courtesy of SDL, dated Tue 11 Sep 2001, 23:00 — yeah she's an elder icon but she still eats 💜🦋✨