Efficient Error Handling in SDL Game Loops
What's the most efficient way to handle errors in a game loop without significantly impacting performance?
Efficient error handling in a game loop is crucial for maintaining both stability and performance. Here's a strategy to handle errors effectively without significantly impacting your game's performance:
Prioritize Critical Errors
Not all errors are created equal. Some errors are critical and require immediate attention, while others might be less severe. Here's how we can categorize errors:
- Critical Errors: These can crash your game or cause severe malfunctions.
- Warnings: These indicate issues that don't prevent the game from running but might affect gameplay.
- Info: These are non-critical messages that might be useful for debugging.
Implement a Tiered Error Handling System
Let's create an error handling system that can handle different error levels:
#include <SDL.h>
#include <chrono>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
enum class ErrorLevel {
Critical,
Warning,
Info
};
class ErrorHandler {
public:
static void HandleError(
ErrorLevel level,
const std::string& message
) {
switch (level) {
case ErrorLevel::Critical:
std::cerr << "CRITICAL ERROR: "
<< message << '\n';
SDL_Quit();
exit(1);
case ErrorLevel::Warning:
std::cerr << "WARNING: "
<< message << '\n';
break;
case ErrorLevel::Info:
std::cout << "INFO: " << message << '\n';
break;
}
}
static void CheckSDLError(
ErrorLevel level,
const std::string& operation
) {
const char* error = SDL_GetError();
if (*error != '\0') {
HandleError(
level,
operation + " Error: " + error
);
SDL_ClearError();
}
}
};Optimize Error Checking Frequency
To minimize performance impact, we can reduce the frequency of error checks for non-critical operations:
#include <chrono>
using namespace std::chrono;
class PerformanceTimer {
public:
PerformanceTimer()
: lastCheck{steady_clock::now()} {}
bool ShouldCheck() {
auto now = steady_clock::now();
if (std::chrono::duration_cast<
milliseconds>(now - lastCheck).count()
> 1000
) {
lastCheck = now;
return true;
}
return false;
}
private:
steady_clock::time_point
lastCheck;
};
PerformanceTimer timer;Implement in Game Loop
Now, let's see how we can use this system in a game loop:
#include <SDL.h>
int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0) {
ErrorHandler::CheckSDLError(
ErrorLevel::Critical,
"SDL Initialization");
}
SDL_Window* window = SDL_CreateWindow(
"SDL2 Game",
SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED,
SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED,
800, 600,
SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN
);
if (!window) {
ErrorHandler::CheckSDLError(
ErrorLevel::Critical,
"Window Creation");
}
SDL_Renderer* renderer = SDL_CreateRenderer(
window, -1, SDL_RENDERER_ACCELERATED);
if (!renderer) {
ErrorHandler::CheckSDLError(
ErrorLevel::Critical,
"Renderer Creation");
}
bool quit = false;
SDL_Event e;
while (!quit) {
while (SDL_PollEvent(&e) != 0) {
if (e.type == SDL_QUIT) { quit = true; }
}
// Game logic here...
SDL_RenderClear(renderer);
// Rendering code here...
SDL_RenderPresent(renderer);
// Check for non-critical errors less
// frequently
if (timer.ShouldCheck()) {
ErrorHandler::CheckSDLError(
ErrorLevel::Warning, "Rendering");
}
}
SDL_DestroyRenderer(renderer);
SDL_DestroyWindow(window);
SDL_Quit();
return 0;
}Performance Considerations
- Minimize String Operations: String operations can be costly. Consider using string interning or pre-allocated error messages for frequently occurring errors.
- Use Conditional Compilation: In release builds, you might want to disable certain types of error checking:
#ifdef _DEBUG
ErrorHandler::CheckSDLError(
ErrorLevel::Info, "Debug Info"
);
#endif- Asynchronous Logging: For non-critical errors, consider using asynchronous logging to minimize impact on the main game loop.
- Batch Error Reporting: Instead of reporting each error immediately, consider batching non-critical errors and reporting them at specific intervals or when exiting the game.
By implementing these strategies, you can maintain robust error handling in your SDL game loop while minimizing the performance impact. Remember to always handle critical errors immediately, but be more selective about when and how you handle less severe issues.
Detecting and Managing Errors
Discover techniques for detecting and responding to SDL runtime errors