SDL_AudioFormat(3type)

💖 SDL_AudioFormat — the vibe check on audio formats

okay bestie, welcome to SDL_AudioFormat(3type), straight outta the SDL3 DATATYPES section of your local manual. this is the enum that tells SDL what shape your audio samples are in — how many bits, signed or unsigned, int or float, little-endian or big-endian. it's giving ✨the blueprint of every beep and boop✨.

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🌸 NAME 🌸

SDL_AudioFormat — Audio format.

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

#include <SDL3/SDL_audio.h>

typedef enum SDL_AudioFormat
{
    SDL_AUDIO_UNKNOWN   = 0x0000u,  /**< Unspecified audio format */
    SDL_AUDIO_U8        = 0x0008u,  /**< Unsigned 8-bit samples */
        /* SDL_DEFINE_AUDIO_FORMAT(0, 0, 0, 8), */
    SDL_AUDIO_S8        = 0x8008u,  /**< Signed 8-bit samples */
        /* SDL_DEFINE_AUDIO_FORMAT(1, 0, 0, 8), */
    SDL_AUDIO_S16LE     = 0x8010u,  /**< Signed 16-bit samples */
        /* SDL_DEFINE_AUDIO_FORMAT(1, 0, 0, 16), */
    SDL_AUDIO_S16BE     = 0x9010u,  /**< As above, but big-endian byte order */
        /* SDL_DEFINE_AUDIO_FORMAT(1, 1, 0, 16), */
    SDL_AUDIO_S32LE     = 0x8020u,  /**< 32-bit integer samples */
        /* SDL_DEFINE_AUDIO_FORMAT(1, 0, 0, 32), */
    SDL_AUDIO_S32BE     = 0x9020u,  /**< As above, but big-endian byte order */
        /* SDL_DEFINE_AUDIO_FORMAT(1, 1, 0, 32), */
    SDL_AUDIO_F32LE     = 0x8120u,  /**< 32-bit floating point samples */
        /* SDL_DEFINE_AUDIO_FORMAT(1, 0, 1, 32), */
    SDL_AUDIO_F32BE     = 0x9120u,  /**< As above, but big-endian byte order */
        /* SDL_DEFINE_AUDIO_FORMAT(1, 1, 1, 32), */

    /* These represent the current system's byteorder. */
    #if SDL_BYTEORDER == SDL_LIL_ENDIAN
    SDL_AUDIO_S16 = SDL_AUDIO_S16LE,
    SDL_AUDIO_S32 = SDL_AUDIO_S32LE,
    SDL_AUDIO_F32 = SDL_AUDIO_F32LE
    #else
    SDL_AUDIO_S16 = SDL_AUDIO_S16BE,
    SDL_AUDIO_S32 = SDL_AUDIO_S32BE,
    SDL_AUDIO_F32 = SDL_AUDIO_F32BE
    #endif
} SDL_AudioFormat;

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so like, this is the enum where all the audio formats live. every value here is a SDL_AudioFormat, and each one is basically a lil barcode encoding four things: signedness, byte order, int vs float, and bit size. iykyk, those comment lines next to each value are showing you exactly how each one gets built by SDL_DEFINE_AUDIO_FORMAT().

here's the rundown, one by one, no skips:

• SDL_AUDIO_UNKNOWN = 0x0000u — unspecified audio format. literally the "idk her" of formats 💀.
• SDL_AUDIO_U8 = 0x0008u — unsigned 8-bit samples.
• SDL_AUDIO_S8 = 0x8008u — signed 8-bit samples.
• SDL_AUDIO_S16LE = 0x8010u — signed 16-bit samples.
• SDL_AUDIO_S16BE = 0x9010u — same as above, but big-endian byte order.
• SDL_AUDIO_S32LE = 0x8020u — 32-bit integer samples.
• SDL_AUDIO_S32BE = 0x9020u — same as above, but big-endian byte order.
• SDL_AUDIO_F32LE = 0x8120u — 32-bit floating point samples.
• SDL_AUDIO_F32BE = 0x9120u — same as above, but big-endian byte order.

and then the icon behavior ✨: these three adapt to whatever machine you're on.

• SDL_AUDIO_S16 — represents the current system's byteorder; equals SDL_AUDIO_S16LE when SDL_BYTEORDER == SDL_LIL_ENDIAN, otherwise SDL_AUDIO_S16BE.
• SDL_AUDIO_S32 — represents the current system's byteorder; equals SDL_AUDIO_S32LE when SDL_BYTEORDER == SDL_LIL_ENDIAN, otherwise SDL_AUDIO_S32BE.
• SDL_AUDIO_F32 — represents the current system's byteorder; equals SDL_AUDIO_F32LE when SDL_BYTEORDER == SDL_LIL_ENDIAN, otherwise SDL_AUDIO_F32BE.

🫶 bestie note: those three are not their own separate format bits, they're aliases. so don't go assuming they mean "little-endian always" — they mean "whatever this box is". no cap.

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⭐ AVAILABILITY ⭐

this enum has been around since SDL 3.2.0. vintage-ish but not vintage vintage. periodt.

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• SDL_AUDIO_BITSIZE(3)
• SDL_AUDIO_BYTESIZE(3)
• SDL_AUDIO_ISINT(3)
• SDL_AUDIO_ISFLOAT(3)
• SDL_AUDIO_ISBIGENDIAN(3)
• SDL_AUDIO_ISLITTLEENDIAN(3)
• SDL_AUDIO_ISSIGNED(3)
• SDL_AUDIO_ISUNSIGNED(3)

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and that's the whole page, babe 💅 brought to you by Simple Directmedia Layer, running the SDL 3.4.18 era, and this little SDL_AudioFormat(3type) writeup is officially signed, sealed, and slayed. go make some noise 🎧✨