Handling External Library Windows

SDL can only handle events for windows created using SDL_CreateWindow(). If an external library creates a window, SDL won’t automatically recognize it or manage its events. However, there are workarounds to integrate such windows with SDL's event system.

Approach 1: Use SDL_CreateWindowFrom()

SDL provides the SDL_CreateWindowFrom() function, which wraps an existing native window handle with an SDL window. This allows you to manage the window as if it were created by SDL.

1// Provided by the library
2void* nativeWindow =
3    GetNativeWindowHandleFromLibrary();
4
5SDL_Window* sdlWindow = SDL_CreateWindowFrom(
6  nativeWindow);
7
8if (sdlWindow) {
9  std::cout << "Successfully wrapped external "
10    "window\n";
11}

Approach 2: Combine Event Systems

If you cannot wrap the window, you may need to handle events using the external library’s API. You can forward relevant events to SDL or integrate them into your application’s logic.

1// Example pseudocode combining SDL with another library
2void HandleExternalLibraryEvents() {
3  if (ExternalLibraryEventDetected()) {
4    SDL_Event customEvent;
5    customEvent.type = SDL_USEREVENT;
6    SDL_PushEvent(&customEvent);
7  }
8}

Limitations

• Incomplete Control: SDL’s rendering and input systems may not work fully on non-SDL windows.
• Platform-Specific Behavior: Wrapping windows or integrating event systems can vary across platforms.

Whenever possible, prefer using SDL-created windows for seamless integration.