OpenAL (for "Open Audio Library") is a cross-platform audio API complementary to OpenGL. It was specifically designed to render multichannel output of 3D arrangements of sound sources around the listener.
The API was originally developed by Loki Entertainment Software, an American video game developer, in late 1999. The first specification was released in early 2000. They created the API as part of their business of porting Windows games to Linux.
For example, Heretic II for Linux was one of the first games shipped using OpenAL.
Creative Labs joined the OpenAL creation and authoring committee and released the first hardware-accelerated OpenAL drivers in 2001.
Around 2009, the sample implementation became proprietary, but the older free version 1.1 is still available.
Several open-source alternatives are also available. For example, OpenAL Soft is one of the widely used LGPL-licensed alternatives.
The PureBasic OpenAL SDK was created to show how to use the ImpLib SDK to make custom import libraries in User-Lib format for PureBasic.
It's not a DLL wrapper, but rather an import library for the OpenAL DLL, which can be used as a User-Lib in PureBasic. The library is compatible with both OpenAL 1.0 and 1.1 versions.
The SDK includes the header files, API documentation and usage examples. The openal32.dll is not included, but it is available in the official OpenAL SDK.
Since 2007, several applications and games were created using this SDK to implement 3D sound effects using the OpenAL API.
Note: Currently the library is compatible with PureBasic (32-bit) up to v6.10 LTS. Version 6.11 introduced a new linker, which doesn't currently support the OpenAL SDK.
Before compiling the included examples, copy the Pbopenal library to the PureLibraries\UserLibraries subdirectory under your PureBasic installation directory.
There is no copyright notice because this SDK is in the public domain. It is available for free without any conditions or restrictions.
However, the openal32.dll does have a license. Please, check the license if you need to redistribute the DLL.
The PureBasic OpenAL SDK was created by Vladimir Kameñar.