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# docs.GL

OpenGL 4
OpenGL 3
OpenGL 2
OpenGL ES 3
OpenGL ES 2

# glGetString

## Name

glGetString — return a string describing the current GL connection

## C Specification

`const GLubyte* glGetString(` | GLenum name`)`;

## Parameters

`name`

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

## 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 of the form `OpenGL<space>ES<space><version number><space><vendor-specific information>`.

`GL_SHADING_LANGUAGE_VERSION`

  Returns a version or release number for the shading language of the form `OpenGL<space>ES<space>GLSL<space>ES<space><version number><space><vendor-specific information>`.

`GL_EXTENSIONS`

  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.)

All strings are null-terminated.

## Notes

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.

## Errors

`GL_INVALID_ENUM` is generated if `name` is not an accepted value.

## Copyright

Copyright © 1991-2006 Silicon Graphics, Inc. This document is licensed under the SGI Free Software B License. For details, see https://web.archive.org/web/20171022161616/http://oss.sgi.com/projects/FreeB/.

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