SDL_STARTTEXTINPUTWITHPROPERTIES(3)

💖 SDL_StartTextInputWithProperties(3) 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because this one is the manual page for SDL_StartTextInputWithProperties(3) and it's genuinely so useful. it lives in the SDL3 functions family and it's about to make your window accept actual human typing. let's go 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

SDL_StartTextInputWithProperties — start accepting Unicode text input events in a window, with properties describing the input.

like. it turns on the typing. but make it customized. 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <SDL3/SDL_keyboard.h>

bool SDL_StartTextInputWithProperties(SDL_Window *window, SDL_PropertiesID props);

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so this function will enable text input — that's SDL_EVENT_TEXT_INPUT and SDL_EVENT_TEXT_EDITING events — in the window you point at. and PLEASE, bestie, use this paired with SDL_StopTextInput(). they're a set. a duo. you don't take one without the other, it's giving matching friendship bracelets. 🫶

important: text input events are not received by default. so if you're sitting there like "why is nothing happening 😭" — that's why. you gotta call this.

also, on some platforms, using this function shows the screen keyboard and/or activates an IME, which can prevent some key press events from being passed through. lowkey a side effect, but a real one, so know about it. 💀

these are the supported properties:

• SDL_PROP_TEXTINPUT_TYPE_NUMBER — an SDL_TextInputType value that describes the text being input. defaults to SDL_TEXTINPUT_TYPE_TEXT.
• SDL_PROP_TEXTINPUT_CAPITALIZATION_NUMBER — an SDL_Capitalization value that describes how text should be capitalized. defaults to SDL_CAPITALIZE_SENTENCES for normal text entry, SDL_CAPITALIZE_WORDS for SDL_TEXTINPUT_TYPE_TEXT_NAME, and SDL_CAPITALIZE_NONE for e-mail addresses, usernames, and passwords. (yeah, it's smart about it, no cap ✨)
• SDL_PROP_TEXTINPUT_AUTOCORRECT_BOOLEAN — true to enable auto completion and auto correction. defaults to true.
• SDL_PROP_TEXTINPUT_MULTILINE_BOOLEAN — true if multiple lines of text are allowed. this defaults to true if SDL_HINT_RETURN_KEY_HIDES_IME is "0" or is not set, and defaults to false if SDL_HINT_RETURN_KEY_HIDES_IME is "1".

🤖 android girlies, this one's for you

on Android you can directly specify the input type:

• SDL_PROP_TEXTINPUT_ANDROID_INPUTTYPE_NUMBER — the text input type to use, overriding other properties. this is documented at https://developer.android.com/reference/android/text/InputType.

like, it just overrides everything else. main character energy, honestly. 👑

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🎀 FUNCTION PARAMETERS 🎀

• window — the window to enable text input. (yes, the window. the one you want the typing to happen in 💖)
• props — the properties to use. (all those cute little properties from above 🌈)

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⭐ RETURN VALUE ⭐

returns true on success or false on failure. and if it fails, bestie, call SDL_GetError() for more information — that's where the tea is. 🍓

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🧚 THREAD SAFETY 🧚

this function should only be called on the main thread. don't be sneaky, don't try it from a worker thread, it's not that girl. 🙈

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💜 AVAILABILITY 💜

this function is available since SDL 3.2.0. vintage-ish, but make it fresh. ✨

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• SDL_SetTextInputArea(3)
• SDL_StartTextInput(3)
• SDL_StopTextInput(3)
• SDL_TextInputActive(3)

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! you ate. go forth and accept Unicode text input with properties, you absolute icon 💅✨

this has been brought to you by Simple Directmedia Layer — SDL 3.4.18 — mwah, love u, bye 🫶💖