GLGETSTRING(3G) GLGETSTRING(3G)

glGetString - return a string describing the current GL connection

const GLubyte * glGetString( GLenum name )












  

  
Specifies a symbolic constant, one of GL_VENDOR,
      GL_RENDERER, GL_VERSION, or GL_EXTENSIONS.










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



  

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

  

  
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.

  

  
Returns a version or release number.

  

  
Returns a space-separated list of supported extensions to GL.




Because the GL does not include queries for the performance
    characteristics of an implementation, some applications are written to
    recognize known platforms and modify their GL usage based on known
    performance characteristics of these platforms. 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.


Some applications want to make use of features that are not part
    of the standard GL. These features may be implemented as extensions to the
    standard GL. The GL_EXTENSIONS string is a space-separated list of
    supported GL extensions. (Extension names never contain a space
  character.)


The GL_VERSION string begins 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
    depends on the implementation, but a space always separates the version
    number and the vendor-specific information.


All strings are null-terminated.








If an error is generated, glGetString returns 0.


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








GL_INVALID_ENUM is generated if name is not an
    accepted value.


GL_INVALID_OPERATION is generated if glGetString is
    executed between the execution of glBegin and the corresponding
    execution of glEnd.