SDL_bsearch(3)

✨ NAME ✨

SDL_bsearch — bestie, this is the glow-up version of a binary search: you hand it an array you already sorted, and it finds your element in it. 💖

This one lives in the SDL3 FUNCTIONS family, so you already know it's giving main character energy.

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <SDL3/SDL_stdinc.h>

void * SDL_bsearch(const void *key, const void *base, size_t nmemb, size_t size, SDL_CompareCallback compare);

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🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

okay so the vibe here is: binary search, but make it SDL. You give it a key, an array that has already been sorted, and a compare callback, and it goes hunting. 💅

For example:

typedef struct {
    int key;
    const char *string;
} data;

int SDLCALL compare(const void *a, const void *b)
{
    const data *A = (const data *)a;
    const data *B = (const data *)b;

    if (A->n < B->n) {
        return -1;
    } else if (B->n < A->n) {
        return 1;
    } else {
        return 0;
    }
}

data values[] = {
    { 1, "first" }, { 2, "second" }, { 3, "third" }
};
data key = { 2, NULL };

data *result = SDL_bsearch(&key, values, SDL_arraysize(values), sizeof(values[0]), compare);

literally just: key in, sorted array in, compare function in, result out. periodt. ✨

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🦋 FUNCTION PARAMETERS 🦋

• key — a pointer to a key that's equal to the element you're searching for. like, this is the thing you want a twin of. 🫶
• base — a pointer to the start of the array. the beginning, the origin story, the front row. 🌈
• nmemb — the number of elements in the array. how many besties are even in the room. 💜
• size — the size of the elements in the array. (per element, not the whole thing — iykyk.) ⭐
• compare — a function used to compare elements in the array. you write it, SDL calls it, they gossip about ordering. 😭

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💀 RETURN VALUE 💀

Returns a pointer to the matching element in the array, or NULL if not found.

so like… pointer = found, NULL = it's not here bestie, go home. 🙈

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🧚 THREAD SAFETY 🧚

It is safe to call this function from any thread. no cap. every thread can have a turn, no drama, no fighting. 💖

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👑 AVAILABILITY 👑

This function is available since SDL 3.2.0. so if you're on something older than that… it's giving vintage, but not in the cute way. 💀

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🍓 SEE ALSO 🍓

• SDL_bsearch_r(3)
• SDL_qsort(3)

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lowkey reminder bestie: it's a binary search, so the array has to be sorted first. SDL_qsort is right there in SEE ALSO for a reason. sort then search, in that order. 💅

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and that's the whole page, mwah 💋

Brought to you by the fine folks at Simple Directmedia Layer — this is from SDL 3.4.18, and the page itself is SDL_bsearch(3). go sort something and then find it, you icon. 🎀✨🦋