AL_REGISTER_SAMPLE_LOADER(3)

💅 al_register_sample_loader(3) — the Allegro 5 API glow-up you didn't know you needed

okay so bestie, you want Allegro 5 to know how to load your sample file type? this is the function. it's from the Library Functions Manual, and it's lowkey one of those "small but iconic" little registration functions. let's get into it 🎀

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <allegro5/allegro_audio.h>

bool al_register_sample_loader(const char *ext,
   ALLEGRO_SAMPLE *(*loader)(const char *filename))

literally just two arguments and a bool back. slay. 💖

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

okay so the whole vibe here: you're registering a handler for al_load_sample(3). the function you pass in is the one that'll get used to handle the loading of sample files with the given extension. it's giving "you bring the file, i bring the parser" energy. 🫶

the extension should include the leading dot (.) character — yes, the dot is part of the deal, don't skip it. and it'll be matched case-insensitively, so .WAV and .wav are the same bestie, no cap.

the loader argument may be NULL to unregister an entry. yes, NULL is the "actually never mind" option and it works. 💅

returns true on success, false on error. and heads up — it also returns false if you're unregistering an entry that doesn't exist. so don't come at it with a random extension and expect success, because it will not give you that. 😭

lowkey important: false is doing double duty here — error or "that entry was never a thing." same return value, different drama.

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• al_register_sample_loader_f(3) — the _f variant, iykyk
• al_register_sample_saver(3) — the saver counterpart, because loading is only half the story

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🦋 cute little sign-off 🦋

this page came from the Allegro reference manual — footer had the source/version line and a date on it, exactly like these pages always do. now go register a loader and make it iconic. periodt. 👑✨💜