GLGENRENDERBUFFERS(3G)

💅 GLGENRENDERBUFFERS (3G) — the renderbuffer-naming glow-up

okay so bestie, gather round, because we're talking about glGenRenderbuffers from the 3G manual section, and honestly? iconic behavior. this is the function that hands you fresh renderbuffer object names like they're VIP wristbands at the club. let's get into it ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

glGenRenderbuffers — generate renderbuffer object names 💫

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🎀 C SPECIFICATION 🎀

like, the actual signature, no cap:

void glGenRenderbuffers(GLsizei n, GLuint *renderbuffers);

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🦋 PARAMETERS 🦋

• n — this is literally just how many renderbuffer object names you want to generate. the count. the quantity. the vibe number. 🍓
• renderbuffers — an array where the generated renderbuffer object names get stored. you hand it the container, it fills the container. passing the aux cord, basically. 🎧

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so glGenRenderbuffers returns n renderbuffer object names into renderbuffers. that's the whole assignment and it ate. 👑

now, hear me on this one: there is no guarantee that the names form a contiguous set of integers. so don't get cute and assume they're like 1, 2, 3, 4 in a neat little row, because they might not be. BUT — and this is the important part — it is guaranteed that none of the returned names was in use immediately before the call to glGenRenderbuffers. so you're never getting a name that's already taken. no overlaps, no duplicate drama, we don't do that here. 🙈

renderbuffer object names returned by a call to glGenRenderbuffers are not returned by subsequent calls, unless they are first deleted with glDeleteRenderbuffers(). so like, once a name is yours, it's yours until you release it back into the wild. recycling is only allowed after deletion, periodt. ♻️

the names returned in renderbuffers are marked as used, for the purposes of glGenRenderbuffers only — that's the sneaky little caveat, so pay attention — but they acquire state and type only when they are first bound. so the name exists, but it's lowkey just a placeholder until you actually bind it. it's giving "name tag but no personality yet." 🏷️

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🔥 ERRORS 🔥

• GL_INVALID_VALUE is generated if n is negative. so like, don't. negative counts are not the move, bestie. that's a hard no. 💀

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👑 VERSION SUPPORT 👑

here's the vibe check across the OpenGL versions for the feature named glGenRenderbuffers (the table from the original, remixed but keeping every single column, promise 🫶):

OpenGL versions covered: 2.0, 2.1, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5.

• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 2.0 — - (not supported)
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 2.1 — - (not supported)
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 3.0 — ✔ (supported, slay)
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 3.1 — ✔
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 3.2 — ✔
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 3.3 — ✔
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 4.0 — ✔
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 4.1 — ✔
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 4.2 — ✔
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 4.3 — ✔
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 4.4 — ✔
• glGenRenderbuffers with OpenGL 4.5 — ✔

so like, 2.0 and 2.1 said "not today" and everything from 3.0 onward said "we been knew." 🌈

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💜 SEE ALSO 💜

• glFramebufferRenderbuffer()
• glDeleteRenderbuffers()

go read those too, they're part of the lore. iykyk. 🧚

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💖 COPYRIGHT 💖

Copyright © 2010-2014 Khronos Group. This material may be distributed subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Open Publication License, v 1.0, 8 June 1999. http://opencontent.org/openpub/.

Copyright © 2010-2014 Khronos Group

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real talk: this page is from [FIXME: source], dated 08/09/2021, and it's GLGENRENDERBUFFERS(3G) all the way down. mwah 💋 go name some renderbuffers, bestie. 🌟