SDL_UpdateWindowSurfaceRects(3)

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

💖 SDL_UpdateWindowSurfaceRects(3) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the SDL3 FUNCTIONS corner of the manual, where we're talking about SDL_UpdateWindowSurfaceRects — the lil glow-up function that copies areas of the window surface to the screen. no cap. ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

SDL_UpdateWindowSurfaceRects — copy areas of the window surface to the screen. it's giving "tell the screen what changed, but only the bits you care about." 🎀

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <SDL3/SDL_video.h>

bool SDL_UpdateWindowSurfaceRects(SDL_Window *window, const SDL_Rect *rects, int numrects);

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so like, this is the function you reach for when you've changed portions of the surface and you want those changes to actually show up on the screen. that's the whole vibe. 💅

fun fact: this function is equivalent to the SDL 1.2 API SDL_UpdateRects(). the legacy icon. 👑

⚠️ okay important thing, no skipping: this function will update _at least_ the rectangles you specify. but pls pls pls understand that's only intended as an optimization — in practice it might update more of the screen (or literally all of the screen!! 😭) depending on what method SDL uses to send pixels to the system. so it's a "at least" situation, never a "exactly this much" situation. iykyk.

🎀 FUNCTION PARAMETERS 🎀

  • window — the window to update. that's your main character. 🪟
  • rects — an array of SDL_Rect structures representing areas of the surface to copy, in pixels. yes bestie, in pixels, don't forget. 📐
  • numrects — the number of rectangles. count 'em. 🔢

🌈 RETURN VALUE 🌈

returns true on success or false on failure. and if it fails? call SDL_GetError() for more information — she will tell you what went wrong, fr fr. 🙈

🧚 THREAD SAFETY 🧚

this function should only be called on the main thread. do not try to be cute and call it from a side thread, it's not that girl. 🚫🧵

⭐ AVAILABILITY ⭐

this function is available since SDL 3.2.0. so if you're on something older... it's giving nothing, sorry. 💀

🫶 SEE ALSO 🫶

go read those too, they're iconic in their own right. 🔥

Simple Directmedia Layer — SDL 3.4.18 🦋 that's the source and the version, and this page was dated alongside SDL_UpdateWindowSurfaceRects(3). mwah, love u, go update some rects responsibly 💖✨🎀

📦 where this page comes from