al_run_main(3)

okay so this is the al_run_main(3) page from the Library Functions Manual — she’s giving “I will handle the weird main-thread situation for you” energy, and honestly? obsessed. 🫶

🎀 NAME 🎀

al_run_main — Allegro 5 API. That’s the whole name, no cap. She’s the Allegro 5 API function for running Allegro when you don’t have a main() of your own. ✨

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <allegro5/allegro.h>

int al_run_main(int argc, char **argv, int (*user_main)(int, char **))

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So here’s the vibe: this function is useful in cases where you don’t have a main() function but still want to run Allegro — mostly useful in a wrapper library. 💖 No cap.

Under Windows and Linux this is no problem because you simply can call al_install_system(3). Easy. Iconic. No drama. 🌈

But some other system (like OSX) don’t allow calling al_install_system(3) in the main thread. 😭 And that’s where al_run_main steps in — she will know what to do in that case. Main character energy fr fr. 👑

The passed argc and argv will simply be passed on to user_main, and the return value of user_main will be returned. That’s it, that’s the tea. Periodt. 🍓

---

Source/version check: Allegro reference manual, al_run_main(3). Date check: not printed on the original page, so we’re not inventing one, bestie. 💅✨