al_load_bitmap_f(3)

💖 al_load_bitmap_f(3) 💖

okay so we're deep in the Allegro 5 API manual — that's the manual name, bestie — and this page is all about al_load_bitmap_f(3). It's giving "load an image from a file stream and hand you a fresh bitmap," and we're gonna get into every detail. ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

al_load_bitmap_f — Allegro 5 API. That's it, that's the name section, short and iconic. 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <allegro5/allegro.h>

ALLEGRO_BITMAP *al_load_bitmap_f(ALLEGRO_FILE *fp, const char *ident)

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So basically this function loads an image from an ALLEGRO_FILE(3) stream into a brand-new ALLEGRO_BITMAP(3). New bitmap, who dis? 🫶

The file type gets figured out by al_identify_bitmap_f(3). If identification is not possible, then the ident parameter is used as a fallback — and heads up, ident is a file name extension including the leading dot — but only if it is not NULL. Lowkey important.

This is the same as calling al_load_bitmap_flags_f(3) with 0 for the flags parameter. Same energy, fewer arguments. ✨

It returns NULL on error. And the file remains open afterwards, so don't go closing it on instinct, bestie.

🚨 Note: the core Allegro library does not support any image file formats by default. You must use the allegro_image addon, or register your own format handler. No cap — out of the box, it's not gonna know PNG from a potato.

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• al_load_bitmap_flags_f(3)
• al_load_bitmap(3)
• al_register_bitmap_loader_f(3)
• al_init_image_addon(3)

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Cute little sign-off: the source/version is the Allegro reference manual, and the page is al_load_bitmap_f(3). The original footer didn't give a date, so I'm not inventing one — periodt. 💖