SDL Double Click Timing Customization

SDL relies on the underlying operating system to detect double clicks and determine the appropriate timing window.

Operating System Dependency

When you click a mouse button, SDL receives the event information from the operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux, etc.). The OS itself is responsible for tracking consecutive clicks on the same button within a specific area and time frame. If it determines that a double click occurred according to its settings, it informs SDL.

SDL then populates the clicks member of the SDL_MouseButtonEvent structure accordingly (usually setting it to 2 for a double click, 1 for a single click).

No Direct SDL Customization

SDL itself does not provide an API function to directly customize or change the double-click time interval used for detection. It respects the user's preferences configured in their operating system's mouse settings.

Why This Approach?

• Consistency: Users expect applications to behave consistently with their system-wide settings. A user who has adjusted their double-click speed expects all applications, including SDL ones, to honor that setting. Overriding it within SDL would lead to an inconsistent user experience.
• Simplicity: It delegates the complexity of timing and spatial detection for double clicks to the OS, which is already performing this task for the entire system.

What If Custom Timing is Required?

If you absolutely need custom click timing behavior (e.g., for a specific game mechanic unrelated to standard double clicks), you would have to implement it manually. This would involve:

1. Handling SDL_MOUSEBUTTONDOWN events.
2. Recording the timestamp and button for each click.
3. Comparing the timestamp of the current click with the timestamp of the previous click on the same button.
4. Checking if the time difference falls within your custom interval.
5. Potentially also checking if the x and y coordinates are close enough (as OS double-click detection often allows for slight mouse movement between clicks).

This adds significant complexity and is generally not recommended if you just want standard double-click behavior. For standard double clicks, rely on checking if (event.button.clicks >= 2). If users find the double-click speed uncomfortable, they should adjust it in their operating system settings.