SDL_Init failed: Could not initialize SDL error when initializing video subsystem

Goal

Design an alerting system that reports SDL initialization failures without generating duplicate notifications.

Constraints

SDL_Init sets the global error string "SDL_Init failed: Could not initialize SDL" when the requested video driver is unavailable.
SDL_GetError returns a static C string that persists until another error occurs; it does not clear the buffer automatically. This behavior can cause monitoring tools to fire repeated alerts for the same failure.

Unresolved Decision

SDL does not expose structured error codes; the only documented error message for initialization failure is the free‑form string mentioned above. The library’s design choice—whether SDL_GetError should clear its buffer after being read—remains open, affecting alert noise.

Questions

• Is there a recommended pattern for consuming SDL_GetError that avoids duplicate alerts?
• Would it be feasible to extend SDL to provide a clearable error state or a separate error code for initialization failures?
• How do existing SDL‑based projects mitigate repeated notifications when SDL_GetError returns the same message?