Is There a Platform-Independent Input Library for Real-Time Applications?

[Dissident Dan]

The only good way to gather user input in games and other real-time applications in Windows that I know if is to use Direct X. I really hate using OS-specific APIs and libraries. Is there any sort of platform-independent input library out there that does a decent job of giving the programmer access to input devices?

 

[dduardo]

http://www.libsdl.org/index.php

 

[LarrrSDonald]

OpenGL in general is pretty solid (and if you wish to go via SDL, then so be it). It's still not as universal as DirectX on windows, but it is common enough that most windows users can't resonably expect to avoid it.

 

[master_coda]

OpenGL in general is pretty solid (and if you wish to go via SDL, then so be it). It's still not as universal as DirectX on windows, but it is common enough that most windows users can't resonably expect to avoid it.

Unfortunately, OpenGL can only be used to replace the graphics component of DirectX, so it doesn't help here. SDL is much better as a complete replacement for DirectX.

 

[Dissident Dan]

Thanks, guys. I'm using opengl and openal for the graphivs and sound, but it looks like I can use e SDL for just about everything else (assuming that the timer has a good-enough resolution).