key_shifts(3alleg4)

💅 key_shifts — the Allegro manual, bestie edition ✨

okay so. this is key_shifts(3alleg4) from the Allegro manual, aka the Allegro game programming library. buckle up 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

key_shifts — a bitmask containing the current state of the modifier keys. it lives in the Allegro game programming library, and it is literally the vibe check for your keyboard's mood 👑

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <allegro.h>

extern volatile int key_shifts;

that's it. that's the whole thing. a single volatile int. iconic behaviour, no notes 💖

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so key_shifts is a bitmask holding the current state of shift / ctrl / alt, the special Windows keys, and the accent escape characters. she's holding a LOT of info in one little int and honestly? slay. 💅

wherever possible this value gets updated asynchronously — like, she's doing her own thing, no input from you required. BUT 🚨 if keyboard_needs_poll() returns TRUE, then bestie you have to manually call poll_keyboard() to refresh it with the current input state. no cap, that's on you. don't forget it.

this value can contain any of these flags:

• KB_SHIFT_FLAG
• KB_CTRL_FLAG
• KB_ALT_FLAG
• KB_LWIN_FLAG
• KB_RWIN_FLAG
• KB_MENU_FLAG
• KB_COMMAND_FLAG
• KB_SCROLOCK_FLAG
• KB_NUMLOCK_FLAG
• KB_CAPSLOCK_FLAG
• KB_INALTSEQ_FLAG
• KB_ACCENT1_FLAG
• KB_ACCENT2_FLAG
• KB_ACCENT3_FLAG
• KB_ACCENT4_FLAG

🍓 example (yes it's giving main character energy) 🍓

if (key[KEY_W]) {
   if (key_shifts & KB_SHIFT_FLAG) {
      /* User is pressing shift + W. */
   } else {
      /* Hmmm... lower case W then. */
   }
}

see how she reads? bitwise & and suddenly you know whether the user is screaming W or just gently typing w. the range?? unmatched 😭✨

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• install_keyboard(3alleg4)
• poll_keyboard(3alleg4)
• key(3alleg4)
• excamera(3alleg4)
• exkeys(3alleg4)

go read those too, they're the rest of the friend group 🫶

and that's the whole page, bestie 🌈 brought to you by Allegro, version 4.4.3, on the key_shifts(3alleg4) page. mwah, take care of your modifier keys 💖🎀🦋