Building Interactive Buttons

Adding Tooltips to SDL Buttons

Is it possible to add tooltips to SDL buttons when hovering?

Abstract art representing computer programming

Yes, it's absolutely possible to add tooltips to SDL buttons when hovering! This can greatly enhance the user experience by providing additional information about button functionality. Let's walk through how we can implement this feature using our existing button framework.

First, we'll need to modify our Button class to include tooltip functionality:

#include <SDL.h>
#include <string>

class Button : public Rectangle {
public:
  Button(int x, int y, int w, int h,
         const std::string& tooltip)
    : Rectangle{x, y, w, h, {0, 255, 0}},
      tooltip{tooltip} {}

  void Render(SDL_Surface* Surface) override {
    Rectangle::Render(Surface);
    if (isHovered) { RenderTooltip(Surface); }
  }

protected:
  void HandleMouseEnter() override {
    SetColor({255, 0, 0});
    isHovered = true;
  }

  void HandleMouseExit() override {
    SetColor({0, 255, 0});
    isHovered = false;
  }

private:
  void RenderTooltip(SDL_Surface* Surface) {
    // Render tooltip text (implementation
    // depends on your text rendering method)
  }

  std::string tooltip;
  bool isHovered{false};
};

In this updated Button class, we've added a tooltip member to store the tooltip text and an isHovered flag to track the hover state. The Render() method now checks if the button is hovered and calls RenderTooltip() if it is.

To use this new tooltip functionality, you can create buttons like this:

Button MyButton{
    50, 50, 100, 30,
    "Click me to perform an action!"};

The actual implementation of RenderTooltip() will depend on your text rendering method. If you're using SDL_ttf, it might look something like this:

#include <SDL_ttf.h>

void Button::RenderTooltip(
    SDL_Surface* Surface) {
  TTF_Font* Font =
      TTF_OpenFont("path/to/font.ttf", 16);
  SDL_Color TextColor{255, 255, 255};
  SDL_Surface* TextSurface =
      TTF_RenderText_Solid(
          Font, tooltip.c_str(), TextColor);

  SDL_Rect TooltipRect{Rect.x, Rect.y - 30,
                       TextSurface->w,
                       TextSurface->h};
  SDL_BlitSurface(TextSurface, nullptr, Surface,
                  &TooltipRect);

  SDL_FreeSurface(TextSurface);
  TTF_CloseFont(Font);
}

Remember to initialize SDL_ttf in your main function:

TTF_Init();
// ... rest of your code ...
TTF_Quit();

With these modifications, your buttons will now display tooltips when hovered over, providing users with helpful information about each button's functionality!

Answers to questions are automatically generated and may not have been reviewed.

sdl2-promo.jpg
Part of the course:

Game Dev with SDL2

Learn C++ and SDL development by creating hands on, practical projects inspired by classic retro games

Free, unlimited access

This course includes:

  • 53 Lessons
  • 100+ Code Samples
  • 91% Positive Reviews
  • Regularly Updated
  • Help and FAQ
Free, Unlimited Access

Professional C++

Comprehensive course covering advanced concepts, and how to use them on large-scale projects.

Screenshot from Warhammer: Total War
Screenshot from Tomb Raider
Screenshot from Jedi: Fallen Order
Contact|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use
Copyright © 2024 - All Rights Reserved