get_datafile_property(3)

💖 get_datafile_property(3) 💖

okay so bestie, this one is from the Allegro manual — the game programming library — and it's literally your little key that unlocks the secret vibes hidden inside a DATAFILE object. 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

get_datafile_property — returns the property string for the object, and yes she's part of the Allegro game programming library, iykyk. 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <allegro.h>

const char *get_datafile_property(const DATAFILE *dat, int type);

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💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

So what she does is: she finds the property type of a DATAFILE object. That's it, that's the job. 👑

Now, the type parameter? It's gotta be a value made with the DAT_ID() macro. No substitutions, no shortcuts, she will not accept your homemade ints. 💀

Like, for example, here's the whole moment:

const char *name;
...
name = get_datafile_property(game_data,
                             DAT_ID('N','A','M','E'));
if (name == empty_string)
   abort_on_error("Object doesn't have a name!");

see how DAT_ID('N','A','M','E') is spelling out the property you want? cute, iconic, no cap. ✨

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🫶 RETURN VALUE 🫶

She returns a pointer to the text string for the object. 🎉

BUT — and this is the plot twist — if the property isn't present, she hands you back a pointer to the variable empty_string instead. So always vibe check that return value, bestie, fr fr. 😭

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• DAT_ID(3)
• empty_string(3)

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ngl the empty_string check is not optional, that's your whole personality trait now 💅

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okay that's the whole page, mwah 💜 — this was Allegro, version 4.4.3, and honestly she ate. 🍓✨ bye bestie, go read some more manpages, periodt. 🦋🌸