SDL_PollEvent vs SDL_PumpEvents

SDL_PollEvent() and SDL_PumpEvents() are both used to handle events in SDL, but they serve different purposes and work in different ways.

SDL_PollEvent()

SDL_PollEvent() is used to fetch events from the event queue. Each call to SDL_PollEvent() retrieves the next event in the queue and removes it from the queue. This function is typically called in a loop to process all available events. Here’s an example:

1#include <SDL.h>
2#include <iostream>
3
4int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
5  SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO);
6
7  SDL_Window* window = SDL_CreateWindow(
8    "Event Polling",
9    SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED,
10    SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED,
11    640, 480, SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN
12  );
13
14  SDL_Event event;
15  bool running = true;
16
17  while (running) {
18    while (SDL_PollEvent(&event)) {
19      if (event.type == SDL_QUIT) {
20        running = false;
21      }
22    }
23    // Rendering code here
24  }
25
26  SDL_DestroyWindow(window);
27  SDL_Quit();
28  return 0;
29}

SDL_PumpEvents()

SDL_PumpEvents() updates the event queue by processing the pending input events. It does not remove or fetch events from the queue.

Instead, it prepares the event queue to be read by functions like SDL_PollEvent(). It’s useful when you want to ensure the event queue is updated without fetching the events immediately.

Here’s how you might use it:

1#include <SDL.h>
2#include <iostream>
3
4int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
5  SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO);
6
7  SDL_Window* window = SDL_CreateWindow(
8    "Event Pumping",
9    SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED,
10    SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED,
11    640, 480, SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN
12  );
13
14  bool running = true;
15
16  while (running) {
17    SDL_PumpEvents();
18    // Now the event queue is updated
19    // You can check the state of the keys, for example:
20    const Uint8* state = SDL_GetKeyboardState(NULL);
21    if (state[SDL_SCANCODE_ESCAPE]) {
22      running = false;
23    }
24    // Rendering code here
25  }
26
27  SDL_DestroyWindow(window);
28  SDL_Quit();
29  return 0;
30}

Key Differences

• Event Retrieval: SDL_PollEvent() retrieves and removes events from the queue, while SDL_PumpEvents() only updates the queue without removing any events.
• Usage: Use SDL_PollEvent() when you need to handle specific events. Use SDL_PumpEvents() when you need to update the event queue for functions that depend on the current event state, such as SDL_GetKeyboardState().

By understanding these differences, you can choose the appropriate function based on your needs for event handling in SDL.