"Couldn't find matching render driver!" from SDL_CreateRenderer()? - c

Question

I came across this error when running my SDL program. It compiled just fine, but the window opened up for a brief moment then closed.
Here's my code:
//Using SDL and standard IO
#include <SDL.h>
#include <SDL_image.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
// SDL Main Resources
const int SCREEN_WIDTH = 640;
const int SCREEN_HEIGHT = 480;
SDL_Window* Window = NULL;
SDL_Texture* Canvas = NULL;
SDL_Renderer* Graphic_Renderer = NULL;
SDL_Event Event;
// Initialize SDL resources
int InitSDL_Environment(){
// Window
Window = SDL_CreateWindow("UML Prototype", SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN);
if(Window == NULL){
printf( "Window could not be created! SDL_Error: %s\n", SDL_GetError() );
SDL_Quit();
return 0;
}
// Video Engine
if(SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0){
printf( "SDL Video Engine could not be initialized! SDL Error: %s\n", SDL_GetError() );
return 0;
}
// Image Formats
int imgFlags = IMG_INIT_PNG;
if(!(IMG_Init(imgFlags) & imgFlags)){
printf("SDL Image Formats could not be initialized! SDL_image Error: %s\n", IMG_GetError());
return 0;
}
// Graphics Renderer
Graphic_Renderer = SDL_CreateRenderer(Window, -1, SDL_RENDERER_ACCELERATED);
if(Graphic_Renderer == NULL){
printf("Graphics renderer could not be created! SDL Error: %s\n", SDL_GetError());
return 0;
}
SDL_SetRenderDrawColor(Graphic_Renderer, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF);
// Return Success
return 1;
}
// Load image from file
SDL_Texture* SDL_LoadTexture(char* src){
SDL_Texture* texture = NULL;
SDL_Surface* loadData = IMG_Load(src);
if(!loadData){
printf("Image \"%s\" could not be loaded! SDL_image ERROR: %s\n", src, IMG_GetError());
return NULL;
}
texture = SDL_CreateTextureFromSurface(Graphic_Renderer, loadData);
if(!texture){
printf("Image \"%s!\" could not be processed! SDL Error: %s\n", src, SDL_GetError());
}
SDL_FreeSurface(loadData);
return texture;
}
int main( int argc, char* args[] )
{
// Load SDL Resources
if(!InitSDL_Environment()){return 1;}
SDL_Texture* image = SDL_LoadTexture("Duck.png");
if(image == NULL){
printf("Image could not be found! SDL_Error: $s\n", SDL_GetError());
return 2;
}
SDL_Rect sign;
sign.x = 40;
sign.y = 31;
sign.w = 300;
sign.h = 300;
// Main loop
for(;;){
// Update screen
SDL_RenderClear(Graphic_Renderer);
SDL_RenderCopy(Graphic_Renderer, image, NULL, NULL);
SDL_RenderPresent(Graphic_Renderer);
// Event handling
SDL_PollEvent(&Event);
if(Event.type == SDL_QUIT){
SDL_DestroyWindow(Window);
SDL_Quit();
return 0;
}
}
}
When I adjusted the batch file to post program errors to the console window, it read Graphics renderer could not be created! SDL Error: Couldn't find matching render driver, pointing right to the Graphic_Renderer = SDL_CreateRenderer... line in my InitSDL_Environment() function.
As you can see, the first bit of that error is my own making, and the last bit was generated by SDL_GetError(), so it's an issue that SDL recognizes.
I found this forum post about the same basic issue where everyone suggested downloading OpenGL libraries. From there, I searched and found this link. No links on that page seemed to lead to anything I could download, and it became progressively ambiguous what OpenGL libraries to download, search for, or if it will even solve the issue. That forum post is four years old after all.
If it's an OpenGL problem with the SDL libraries, where exactly would I get the OpenGL libraries, and which ones should I download? Did I just do something dumb with my code?

Answer 1

So I did something dumb with my code! Of course <_<
I changed my InitSDL_Environment() function around, and it worked. I moved the SDL_CreateWindow function down below the SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) portion. So Initialize SDL Video, then create the window. Awesome!
// Initialize SDL resources
int InitSDL_Environment(){
// Video Engine
if(SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0){
printf( "SDL Video Engine could not be initialized! SDL Error: %s\n", SDL_GetError() );
return 0;
}
// Image Formats
int imgFlags = IMG_INIT_PNG;
if(!(IMG_Init(imgFlags) & imgFlags)){
printf("SDL Image Formats could not be initialized! SDL_image Error: %s\n", IMG_GetError());
return 0;
}
// Window
Window = SDL_CreateWindow("UML Prototype", SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_UNDEFINED, SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN);
if(Window == NULL){
printf( "Window could not be created! SDL_Error: %s\n", SDL_GetError() );
SDL_Quit();
return 0;
}
// Graphics Renderer
Graphic_Renderer = SDL_CreateRenderer(Window, -1, SDL_RENDERER_ACCELERATED);
if(Graphic_Renderer == NULL){
printf("Graphics renderer could not be created! SDL Error: %s\n", SDL_GetError());
return 0;
}
SDL_SetRenderDrawColor(Graphic_Renderer, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF);
// Return Success
return 1;
}
The comments brought up three main points:
SDL Textures require computers to have a graphics card & up-to-date drivers for them, which may need to be updated manually.
SDL Video needs to be initialized before a window can be created
The functions SDL_GetNumRenderDrivers() and SDL_GetRendererInfo() can be used to find out information about available cards and trouble-shoot this error.
Thanks commentators! This was a huge help.