The first public release of the LDL (Little DirectMedia Layer) multimedia library has been launched. This library allows developers to create graphical applications that are compatible with both modern and legacy systems such as Windows 95+, distributions with the Linux 2.0+ kernel, and FreeBSD 3.0+. It provides a simple cross-platform API for managing windows and handling events from input devices, with support for OpenGL 1.0-4.6 for rendering. The code is licensed under LGPL 3.0.
This release is significant as it marks a transition from C++98 to ANSI C (C89) in order to ensure maximum portability and compatibility with older compilers and platforms, including DOS, Windows 95, and PlayStation 1. The project is planned to gradually develop capabilities such as working with windows, input events, and graphics. Subsequent phases will include the development of 2D rendering, tools for handling sound and fonts, and backends for SDL 1.2, SDL 2.x, SDL 3.x, SFML, and GLFW libraries. By utilizing these backends, developers can create applications for platforms that are not directly supported by LDL without the need for code changes. Future plans also involve creating a universal API for working with sprites and 2D graphics, which can be used across different backends like OpenGL, Vulkan, software rendering, and SDL-type libraries.
