Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 17:14:00 +0200 From: "Eckhard Stolberg" Subject: Controller names in SDL for Windows I'm working on an Atari 2600 emulator for different systems that uses the SDL. Some time ago someone created an adaptor that lets you use your old Atari controllers with your computer through the USB port. Some of the Atari controllers require special handling by the emulator, so it would be nice, if it would be possible to detect if any of the controllers connected to the computer is this adaptor. SDL would allow that with the SDL_JoystickName function, but unfortunately it doesn't work properly on Windows. On Linux and MacOSX this function returns the name of the controller, but on Windows you'll only get the name of the joystick driver. Most joysticks nowadays use the generic Microsoft driver, so they all return the same name. In an old MSDN article (http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive/default.asp?url=/archive/en-us/dnarinput/html/msdn_extdirect.asp) Microsoft describes how to read out the OEM controller names from the registry. I have implemented this for the SDL controller handler on Windows, and now reading the joystick name works properly there too.

To compile and install SDL:

    1.  Run './configure; make; make install'

        If you are compiling for Windows using gcc, read the FAQ at:
        http://www.libsdl.org/faq.php?action=listentries&category=4#42

        If you are compiling using Visual C++ on Win32, you should read
        the file VisualC.html

    2.  Look at the example programs in ./test, and check out the HTML
        documentation in ./docs to see how to use the SDL library.

    3.  Join the SDL developer mailing list by sending E-mail to
    	sdl-request@libsdl.org
        and put "subscribe" in the subject of the message.

        Or alternatively you can use the web interface:
            http://www.libsdl.org/mailing-list.php

That's it!
Sam Lantinga <slouken@libsdl.org>