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docs.GL

glGetString

Name

glGetString — return a string describing the current GL connection

C Specification

const GLubyte* glGetString(GLenum name);

C Specification

const GLubyte* glGetStringi(GLenum name,
GLuint index);

Parameters

name

Specifies a symbolic constant, one of GL_VENDOR, GL_RENDERER, GL_VERSION, or GL_SHADING_LANGUAGE_VERSION. Additionally, glGetStringi accepts the GL_EXTENSIONS token.

index

For glGetStringi, specifies the index of the string to return.

Description

glGetString returns a pointer to a static string describing some aspect of the current GL connection. name can be one of the following:

GL_VENDOR

Returns the company responsible for this GL implementation. This name does not change from release to release.

GL_RENDERER

Returns the name of the renderer. This name is typically specific to a particular configuration of a hardware platform. It does not change from release to release.

GL_VERSION

Returns a version or release number.

GL_SHADING_LANGUAGE_VERSION

Returns a version or release number for the shading language.

glGetStringi returns a pointer to a static string indexed by index. name can be one of the following:

GL_EXTENSIONS

For glGetStringi only, returns the extension string supported by the implementation at index.

Strings GL_VENDOR and GL_RENDERER together uniquely specify a platform. They do not change from release to release and should be used by platform-recognition algorithms.

The GL_VERSION and GL_SHADING_LANGUAGE_VERSION strings begin with a version number. The version number uses one of these forms:

major_number.minor_number major_number.minor_number.release_number

Vendor-specific information may follow the version number. Its format depends on the implementation, but a space always separates the version number and the vendor-specific information.

All strings are null-terminated.

Notes

If an error is generated, glGetString returns 0.

The client and server may support different versions. glGetString always returns a compatible version number. The release number always describes the server.

Errors

GL_INVALID_ENUM is generated if name is not an accepted value.

GL_INVALID_VALUE is generated by glGetStringi if index is outside the valid range for indexed state name.

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