What happens if the minimum window size exceeds the current window size?

Question

Ryan McCombe · Accepted Answer

If you set a minimum window size in SDL using SDL_SetWindowMinimumSize() and the current window size is smaller than this new minimum, SDL will automatically resize the window to meet the minimum size constraints.

This behavior ensures that the window size remains valid according to the constraints you've defined.

Here's a code example to demonstrate this:

1#include <SDL.h>
2#include <iostream>
3
4int main() {
5  if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) != 0) {
6    std::cerr << "SDL Initialization failed: "
7      << SDL_GetError() << "\n";
8    return 1;
9  }
10
11  SDL_Window* window =
12    SDL_CreateWindow("Minimum Size Example",
13                     SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED,
14                     SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED,
15                     200, 200,
16                     SDL_WINDOW_RESIZABLE);
17
18  if (!window) {
19    std::cerr << "Window creation failed: " <<
20      SDL_GetError() << "\n";
21    SDL_Quit();
22    return 1;
23  }
24
25  // Set minimum size larger than current size
26  SDL_SetWindowMinimumSize(window, 300, 300);
27
28  int width, height;
29  SDL_GetWindowSize(window, &width, &height);
30
31  std::cout <<
32    "Window size after setting minimum: " <<
33    width << "x" << height
34    << "\n";
35
36  SDL_DestroyWindow(window);
37  SDL_Quit();
38
39  return 0;
40}

1Window size after setting minimum: 300x300

You'll see the window immediately resize to 300x300 because the minimum size constraints were applied after the initial size was smaller.

It's worth noting that this behavior can be disorienting for users, especially if they aren't expecting their window size to change abruptly. In a real-world scenario, you might want to notify users or use graceful resizing animations.

Additionally, if you're working with a game or graphical application, remember that any sudden resize may impact your layout or rendering logic. Always test thoroughly when applying size constraints dynamically.

Window Sizing

Handling Exceeded Minimum Window Size

Window Sizing

Game Development with SDL2

Questions & Answers