al_get_ram_size(3alleg5)

✨ al_get_ram_size ✨

okay bestie, welcome to the Allegro reference manual 💖 this one's a lil function from allegro5 and it's lowkey the "how much RAM does this machine have" girly. let's get into it 🫶

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🌸 NAME 🌸

al_get_ram_size — Allegro 5 API 💅

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

#include <allegro5/allegro.h>

int al_get_ram_size(void)

no arguments, no drama, she just takes void and returns an int. iconic. ✨

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so here's the tea 🍓: this function returns the size in MB of the random access memory that the system Allegro is running on has, and which could actually be detected. if the detection failed, you get a negative number back. 😭

⚠️ and listen — even if you get a positive number back, it might not even be correct. fr fr.

for example: Allegro running on a virtual machine will return the amount of RAM of the VM, not the amount of RAM of the underlying system. so your cute lil sandbox number is not the whole story, bestie 💀

and furthermore (yes there's more 🙈) — even if the number is correct, this only gives you info about the total physical memory of the system Allegro runs on. the memory actually available to your program may be less or more than what this function returns, because of circumstances like virtual memory and other programs that are currently running. the vibes are, respectfully, complicated. 😭

so it's best to use this for advisory purposes only. and it is certainly a bad idea to make your program exclusive to systems for which this function returns a certain "desirable" number. do not gatekeep your app on a RAM number, that is not the move. 🙅‍♀️

also good news: this function may be called prior to al_install_system(3alleg5) or al_init(3alleg5). so you can call her early, before the system is even set up. main character energy honestly 👑

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👑 SINCE 👑

5.1.12 ✨

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and that's the whole page, bestie 🎀 that was al_get_ram_size from the Allegro reference manual, and yeah, she's been holding it down since 5.1.12. go forth and check your RAM responsibly 💜✨