Setting Up a New Blank Window Project with SDL and C++ on Windows

Introduction

In this blog post, we’ll walk through setting up a new project using the Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) library with C++ on a Windows platform. SDL is a powerful tool for handling graphics, sound, and input, making it ideal for game development and other multimedia applications. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a basic SDL project running in a window, ready for further development.

Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure you have the following:

1. A Windows PC
2. A C++ Compiler (e.g., MinGW, Visual Studio)
3. An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) (e.g., Visual Studio, Code::Blocks)
4. SDL2 Development Libraries

Step 1: Install SDL2

First, you need to download the SDL2 development libraries.

1. Go to the SDL2 download page.
2. Download the development libraries for Windows (SDL2-devel-2.0.x-VC.zip for Visual Studio or SDL2-devel-2.0.x-mingw.zip for MinGW).

Extract the downloaded zip file to a location of your choice.

Step 2: Setting Up the Project in Your IDE

Step 3: Writing the SDL Code

Create a new source file (e.g., main.cpp) and write the following code to initialize SDL and create a window:

#include <SDL.h>
#include <iostream>

// Screen dimension constants
const int SCREEN_WIDTH = 640;
const int SCREEN_HEIGHT = 480;

int main(int argc, char* args[])
{
    // Initialize SDL
    if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0) {
        std::cerr << "SDL could not initialize! SDL_Error: " << SDL_GetError() << std::endl;
        return 1;
    }

    // Create window
    SDL_Window* window = SDL_CreateWindow("SDL Tutorial", SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN);
    if (window == NULL) {
        std::cerr << "Window could not be created! SDL_Error: " << SDL_GetError() << std::endl;
        SDL_Quit();
        return 1;
    }

    // Get window surface
    SDL_Surface* screenSurface = SDL_GetWindowSurface(window);

    // Fill the surface white
    SDL_FillRect(screenSurface, NULL, SDL_MapRGB(screenSurface->format, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF));

    // Update the surface
    SDL_UpdateWindowSurface(window);

    // Wait two seconds
    SDL_Delay(2000);

    // Destroy window
    SDL_DestroyWindow(window);

    // Quit SDL subsystems
    SDL_Quit();

    return 0;
}

Step 4: Building and Running the Project

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve set up a basic SDL project in C++ on a Windows system. This foundational setup allows you to dive deeper into SDL’s capabilities, including handling events, rendering graphics, and managing audio. Happy coding!

For more detailed tutorials and SDL documentation, visit the SDL wiki.