I'm in the process of replacing Microsoft CRT functions with allegro equivalents to remove my dependencies on console functions. One of them is _kbhit which is an ancient legacy command from conio.h

Here is the function definition from Microsoft:
The _kbhit function checks the console for a recent keystroke. If the function returns a nonzero value, a keystroke is waiting in the buffer. The program can then
call _getch or _getche to get the keystroke.

Here's my stab to do the same thing:

int keyboardhit()
{
  
  if (al_peek_next_event(kbdQueue, &kbdState))
  {
    return 1;  //doesn't really matter what was hit
  }
  return 0;
}

I then will write my own _getch() to get the next key, but it's not quite working the way it's supposed to.

I tried an attempt using microsoft's exmaple.

//keyboardhit() replaced _kbhit()
  while (!keyboardhit())
    _cputs("Hit me!! ");

and it's not detecting the keypress. Am I missing something here?

Here's my whole example code

ALLEGRO_EVENT_QUEUE *kbdQueue = NULL; //!< Keyboard Queue 
ALLEGRO_KEYBOARD_STATE kbdState; //!< Keybord State 

int keyboardhit() {
 if (al_peek_next_event(kbdQueue, &kbdState)) { return 1; }
 else return 0;
}

That code shouldn't even compile. You're passing an ALLEGRO_KEYBOARD_STATE* to a function parameter that is expecting an ALLEGRO_EVENT*.

To keep in the fashion of _kbhit, you can use functions like these, in the same way you were attempting to. You just need to keep a separate queue of events, or at least store and remove them when they are received.

Okay, you need to read through your code, and follow it along logically...

If a person presses a key, what line will this code return at?
If a person releases a key, what line will this code return at?

You are checking for a key down event, then clearing the queue and exiting with a return 0. You are also checking for a key up event in the same code. So no matter what happens, no matter what key is pressed, it will ALWAYS return 0 with nothing.

WHat you want to do, is to check if a key is pressed, or released, up to you (you can respond as soon as it is pressed, or wait for the person to release it). Anyhow, once it is pressed, you do not return right away, you then need to check which key was pressed INSIDE that same code, and respond to it accordingly... like this... in pseudo code.

Was a key pressed?
{
Get key that was pressed and respond to it.
return
}
else no key pressed, check for other events
{
...code here...
}

You're checking if a key was pressed and then returning without doing anything at all. Check the example I showed you. It is in C, I clipped it straight out of my Deluxe Pacman 2 code, unedited, so it works. You will notice when I check to see if a key is released, if one was, than I immediately extract the key that was pressed and respond inside that loop.

Thanks for all your input guys! You were right Neil, I wasn't thinking the logic though. But thanks especially to you Edgar! You have been overly helpful with all my silly questions to the point I feel like I'm being a bother. I guess it doesn't hurt I'm showing off my work and demonstrating I'm at least trying to get things right. I have gained such a larger grasp on Allegro with this project than I imagined I would.. Maybe I should be giving back to the community and helping out the newbies too.