SDL_ReadS16LE(3)

💖 SDL_ReadS16LE(3) — SDL3 FUNCTIONS 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because this one is a little cutie from the SDL3 FUNCTIONS section of the manual and it is so much simpler than it sounds. it's called SDL_ReadS16LE and it is here to grab you 16 bits of little-endian data out of an SDL_IOStream and hand it back to you in native format. yes queen, it does the endianness math so you don't have to 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

SDL_ReadS16LE</purpose> — use this function to read 16 bits of little-endian data from an SDL_IOStream and return it in native format. that's the whole job. that's the assignment. and it ate. 🔥

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <SDL3/SDL_iostream.h>

bool SDL_ReadS16LE(SDL_IOStream *src, Sint16 *value);

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

here's the tea, bestie: SDL byteswaps the data only if necessary, so the data you get back will be in the native byte order. meaning if your machine already speaks little-endian, it just hands it over as-is, no drama, no extra work. lowkey efficient of it. 👑

now the part where you have to pay attention, because this is important:

this function will return false when the data stream is completely read, and SDL_GetIOStatus() will return SDL_IO_STATUS_EOF. so if you get a false back, that might just mean "we're done here, that's the end of the stream" and not "something broke."

but — and this is the crucial distinction, don't skip it — if false is returned and the stream is not at EOF, then SDL_GetIOStatus() will return a different error value and SDL_GetError() will offer you a human-readable message. so like. false + not-EOF = actual problem. false + EOF = you simply finished reading. iykyk. 💀

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🎀 FUNCTION PARAMETERS 🎀

• src — the stream from which to read data. this is your source, your origin story, the place the bytes are coming from. 🍓
• value — a pointer filled in with the data read. yes, it writes into your pointer. you hand it a spot, it fills the spot. slay. ✨

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🫶 RETURN VALUE 🫶

Returns true on successful read, or false on failure. and if it fails, call SDL_GetError() for more information — she will tell you what went wrong, bestie, just ask her. 😭

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💜 THREAD SAFETY 💜

Do not use the same SDL_IOStream from two threads at once.

not me having to say this, but here we are: one stream, one thread. sharing is NOT caring in this specific situation. that's undefined behaviour territory and we do not go there. 🙈

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🌈 AVAILABILITY 🌈

this function is available since SDL 3.2.0. so if you're on anything older, sorry babe, she hasn't been born yet. ⭐

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and that's the whole page, angel 💖 go forth and read your 16 little-endian bits in peace. mwah.

this has been Simple Directmedia Layer, documenting SDL 3.4.18, brought to you by the fine folks behind SDL_ReadS16LE(3). 🧚✨