{{fbdoc item="title" value="SCREENPTR"}}----
Returns a pointer to the current work page's frame buffer

{{fbdoc item="syntax"}}##
	[[KeyPgDeclare|declare]] [[KeyPgFunction|function]] **Screenptr** ( ) [[KeyPgAs|as]] [[KeyPgAny|any]] [[KeyPgPtr|ptr]]
##
{{fbdoc item="usage"}}##
	//result// = **Screenptr**
##
{{fbdoc item="ret"}}
	a pointer to the current work page frame buffer memory, or NULL (##0##) if no graphics mode is set.

{{fbdoc item="desc"}}
	##**Screenptr**## provides a way to directly read/write the working page's frame buffer. ##[[KeyPgScreenlock|Screenlock]]## should be used before any read or writes are attempted. The pointer returned is valid up until any subsequent call to ##[[KeyPgScreengraphics|Screen (Graphics)]]## or ##[[KeyPgScreenres|Screenres]]##, which invalidates it.
	
	##**Screenptr**## can also be used to test if a call to ##[[KeyPgScreengraphics|Screen (Graphics)]]## or ##[[KeyPgScreenres|Screenres]]## was successful, indicated by a non-NULL (##<> 0##) return value.
	
	In order to access a pixel in the screen buffer, you will need to know the screen's bytes per pixel and pitch (bytes per row), and also the width and height to avoid going out of bounds.  This information can be found out using ##[[KeyPgScreeninfo|Screeninfo]]##.
	Each row in the frame buffer is ##//pitch//## bytes long.  The frame buffer consists of ##//height//## rows, stored in order of their position on the screen, running from top to bottom, left to right.
	
	Because of the design of ""FreeBASIC"" graphics library, ##**Screenptr**## (if non-NULL) will always point to the backbuffer, and never to actual video RAM.

{{fbdoc item="ex"}}
	{{fbdoc item="filename" value="examples/manual/gfx/screenptr.bas"}}%%(freebasic)
Const SCREEN_WIDTH = 640, SCREEN_HEIGHT = 480
Dim As Long w, h, bypp, pitch

'' Make 8-bit screen.
Screenres SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, 8

'' Get screen info (w and h should match the constants above, bypp should be 1)
Screeninfo w, h, , bypp, pitch

'' Get the address of the frame buffer. An Any Ptr 
'' is used here to allow simple pointer arithmetic
Dim buffer As Any Ptr = Screenptr()
If (buffer = 0) Then
	Print "Error: graphics screen not initialized."
	Sleep
	End -1
End If

'' Lock the screen to allow direct frame buffer access
Screenlock()
	
	'' Find the address of the pixel in the centre of the screen
	'' It's an 8-bit pixel, so use a UByte Ptr.
	Dim As Integer x = w \ 2, y = h \ 2
	Dim As Ubyte Ptr pixel = buffer + (y * pitch) + (x * bypp)
	
	
	'' Set the center pixel color to 10 (light green).
	*pixel = 10

'' Unlock the screen.
Screenunlock()

'' Wait for the user to press a key before closing the program
Sleep
%%
	{{fbdoc item="filename" value="examples/manual/gfx/screenptr2.bas"}}%%(freebasic)
Const SCREEN_WIDTH = 256, SCREEN_HEIGHT = 256
Dim As Long w, h, bypp, pitch

'' Make 32-bit screen.
ScreenRes SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, 32

'' Get screen info (w and h should match the constants above, bypp should be 4)
ScreenInfo w, h, , bypp, pitch

'' Get the address of the frame buffer. An Any Ptr 
'' is used here to allow simple pointer arithmetic
Dim buffer As Any Ptr = Screenptr()
If (buffer = 0) Then
	Print "Error: graphics screen not initialized."
	Sleep
	End -1
End If

'' Lock the screen to allow direct frame buffer access
ScreenLock()
	
	'' Set row address to the start of the buffer
	Dim As Any Ptr row = buffer
	
	'' Iterate over all the pixels in the screen:
	
	For y As Integer = 0 To h - 1
		
		'' Set pixel address to the start of the row
		'' It's a 32-bit pixel, so use a ULong Ptr
		Dim As ULong Ptr pixel = row
		
		For x As Integer = 0 To w - 1
			
			'' Set the pixel value
			*pixel = Rgb(x, x Xor y, y) 
			
			'' Get the next pixel address 
			'' (ULong Ptr will increment by 4 bytes)
			pixel += 1
			
		Next x
		
		'' Go to the next row
		row += pitch
		
	Next y

'' Unlock the screen.
ScreenUnlock()

'' Wait for the user to press a key before closing the program
Sleep
%%
{{fbdoc item="lang"}}
	- Not available in the //[[CompilerOptlang|-lang qb]]// dialect unless referenced with the alias ##**""__Screenptr""**##.

{{fbdoc item="diff"}}
	- New to ""FreeBASIC""

{{fbdoc item="see"}}
	- ##[[KeyPgScreengraphics|Screen (Graphics)]]##
	- ##[[KeyPgScreenres|Screenres]]##
	- ##[[KeyPgScreeninfo|ScreenInfo]]##
	- ##[[KeyPgScreenlock|Screenlock]]##
	- ##[[KeyPgScreenunlock|Screenunlock]]##

{{fbdoc item="back" value="CatPgGfxScreen|Screen Functions"}}