SDL question...

[antex]

I have just started to learn SDL.. I read a tutorial about displaying
bitmaps and it told me to use the function SDL_Flip(SDL_Surface *screen)
Now I wonder why this is preferred since the bitmap is displayed
properly without it.


One more question, which is the preferred way of coloring single pixels?
Is it by calling SDL_FillRect() or by writing a new function for the task?
I've seen alot of tutorials on writing a pixel coloring function...


I will really appreciate it if anyone could take som time to answer
these questions.

[MathFan]

to use the function SDL_Flip(SDL_Surface *screen)
Now I wonder why this is preferred since the bitmap is displayed properly without it.

The SDL_Flip() function flips between the two screen surfaces when you are using double buffer mode (if I remember it correctly). It can be used for animation. Flipping between surfaces makes the change between animation frames seemless and therefore the animation itself more fluent. It is also used when objects on the screen are moving, so that the movement seems, again, more fluent and not choppy.

Is it by calling SDL_FillRect() or by writing a new function for the task?

Well, that depends on what your program is going to do. If you are going to draw MANY pixels, make a function. If your program is drawing only a few pictures, you can use the good ol' SDL_FillRect() without it making your program run slower.

[antex]

I see, thank you very much!