Tooltip vs Popup Menu Flags

The SDL_WINDOW_TOOLTIP and SDL_WINDOW_POPUP_MENU flags in SDL are designed for specific types of utility windows, each tailored to different use cases.

This flag is used for creating tooltip windows. Tooltip windows are lightweight, secondary windows that provide brief, contextual information.

They cannot grab input focus or be minimized. This makes them ideal for hovering text or information displays that accompany a cursor. Here's an example:

1SDL_CreateWindow("Tooltip",
2  100, 100, 200, 50, SDL_WINDOW_TOOLTIP);

This flag is intended for dropdown menus or similar UI elements. Unlike tooltips, popup menus often require interaction, so they can grab input focus.

They're used for context menus or dropdowns that are triggered by user actions, like a right-click or a button press. Here's an example:

1SDL_CreateWindow("Dropdown",
2  100, 100, 200, 150, SDL_WINDOW_POPUP_MENU);

The key difference is the intended interaction model: tooltips are passive and display-only, while popup menus are interactive and often capture user input.

Both types benefit from being combined with other flags, such as SDL_WINDOW_HIDDEN to manage visibility dynamically or SDL_WINDOW_ALWAYS_ON_TOP to ensure they appear above other windows.