How to handle uppercase keystrokes in SDL? - unicode

Question

How to get SDL to understand the difference between tapping a letter with caps lock on and caps lock off, or, shift + 'a' = 'A', or that shift + '1' = '!'...etc?

Answer 1

First add this command:
SDL_EnableUNICODE(SDL_ENABLE);
which basically allows SDL to recognise the difference between Uppercase and Lowercase and even the difference between holding Shiftand aa character (like shift + 'a' = 'A' or shift + '1' = '!')
After that , assuming you know how to extract regular keys (event.key.keysym.sym), just use event.key.keysym.unicode instead
For example:
#include <string>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
string stringinput()
{
string input;
SDL_EnableUNICODE( SDL_ENABLE );
SDL_Event uin;
while(!(uin.type==SDL_KEYDOWN&&uin.key.keysym.sym==SDLK_RETURN))
{
while(SDL_PollEvent(&uin))
{
if(uin.type==SDL_KEYDOWN)
{
if((uin.key.keysym.unicode>='A'&&uin.key.keysym.unicode<='Z')
||(uin.key.keysym.unicode>='a'&&uin.key.keysym.unicode<='z')
||(uin.key.keysym.unicode>='0'&&uin.key.keysym.sym<='9')
||(uin.key.keysym.unicode==SDLK_SPACE))
{
input+=((char)uin.key.keysym.unicode);
}
else
{
switch((unsigned int)uin.key.keysym.unicode)
{
case SDLK_BACKSPACE:
input.erase(input.size()-1);
break;
}
}
}
}
}
SDL_EnableUNICODE( SDL_DISABLE );
return input;
}
int main()
{
string mystring=stringinput();
cout<<mystring;
while(1);
return 0;
}