SDL_UpperBlit: passed a NULL surface error - c++

Question

In the following code:
#include <iostream>
#include "SDL.h"
using namespace std;
int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
SDL_Surface* screenSurface = nullptr;
SDL_Surface* image = nullptr;
SDL_Window* window = nullptr;
const Uint8* keystate;
SDL_Rect offset;
offset.x = 100;
offset.y = 200;
if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0)
{
cout << "Window initialization error: " << SDL_GetError();
}
else
{
window = SDL_CreateWindow("game", SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED, 800, 600, SDL_WINDOW_SHOWN);
bool isRunning = true;
SDL_Event ev;
//game loop
while (isRunning)
{
while (SDL_PollEvent(&ev) != 0)
{
if (ev.type == SDL_QUIT)
isRunning = false;
}
keystate = SDL_GetKeyboardState(NULL);
if (keystate[SDL_SCANCODE_W])
{
offset.y -= 1;
}
else if (keystate[SDL_SCANCODE_A])
{
offset.x -= 1;
}
else if (keystate[SDL_SCANCODE_S])
{
offset.y += 1;
}
else if (keystate[SDL_SCANCODE_D])
{
offset.x += 1;
}
screenSurface = SDL_GetWindowSurface(window);
image = SDL_LoadBMP("world.bmp");
SDL_BlitSurface(image, NULL, screenSurface, &offset);
SDL_UpdateWindowSurface(window);
cout << SDL_GetError() << endl;
}
}
SDL_FreeSurface(image);
SDL_DestroyWindow(window);
image = nullptr;
window = nullptr;
SDL_Quit();
return 0;
}
I get an error, saying: "SDL_UpperBlit: passed a NULL surface error." But the error did not occur until I went from using a switch statement in the while loop for SDL_PollEvent, to just using if statements using SDL_SCANCODE_ in the isRunning while loop. So the error does not occur instantly, but after a short while, like 10 seconds or so. So I am able to move around the world.bmp with WASD for a short while, then I get the error "SDL_UpperBlit: passed a NULL surface error.".
What's the solution for this?

Answer 1

image = SDL_LoadBMP("world.bmp");
This loads world.bmp from the disk, creates a brand new surface and stores the image inside. You never destroy this surface, and you don't check for errors either.
As you're running this once per frame, SDL quickly runs out of resources, SDL_LoadBMP returns NULL to signal it, and you pass that NULL to SDL_BlitSurface.
Only load your resources once, and take care of destroying them at the right time. C++ has smart pointers and RAII to do that for you.