OVERVIEW

Allegro is a cross-platform, open source, game programming library for 2D graphics, primarily for C and C++ developers. It does not natively support 3D graphics like OpenGL or Direct3D, but does include some routines for their integration. Besides graphics, Allegro also handles common, low-level tasks such as creating windows, accepting user input, loading data, drawing images, playing sounds, etc. and generally abstracting away the underlying platform. Allegro does not include game physics routines, so they do not claim to be a full game engine. You will need to add a few other libraries to complete your game API suite.

PROGRAMMING

Allegro can be used to create games on Linux, Windows, Mac-OS, and even the iPhone. The API is modular so you can add what functions make sense for your game, and use other libraries too. ChristGames.org recommends using Code::Blocks (with MinGW for Windows) for building games with Allegro because it is a free, open source programming IDE and has been tested and recommended for use by the Allegro authors.

API

Allegro contains routines for input, such as joystick, keyboard, and mouse. It also manages threads, timers, events, and state too. These are important administrative routines for game programmers. Various addons are also available for color, fonts, audio, and some physics. Allegro also includes routines for manipulating and reading files. You can use these routines to store game data and configuration information, and handle general file level I/O functions.

LINKS