OpenGL Error

If the parameters of a function call do not match the set of parameters allowed by OpenGL, or do not interact reasonably with state that is already set in the context, then an OpenGL Error will result. The errors are presented as an error code.

For most OpenGL errors, and for most OpenGL functions, a function that emits an error will have no effect. No OpenGL state will be changed, no rendering will be initiated. It will be as if the function had not been called. There are a few cases where this is not the case.

Testing for errors

OpenGL errors are stored in a queue until the error is actually handled. Therefore, if you do not regularly test for errors, you will not know necessarily which function call elicited a particular error. As such, error testing should be done regularly if you need to know where an error came from.

To fetch the next error in the queue (and to remove it from the queue), call this function:

GLenum glGetError()

If the error queue is empty, it will return GL_NO_ERROR. Otherwise, it will return one of the error enumerators below and remove that error from the queue. So to fetch all of the errors currently in the queue, you would need to loop:

GLenum err;
while((err = glGetError()) != GL_NO_ERROR)
{
  //Process/log the error.
}

Meaning of errors

The glGetError function returns one of the following error codes, or GL_NO_ERROR if no (more) errors are available. Each error code represents a category of user error.

GL_INVALID_ENUM, 0x0500

Given when an enumeration parameter is not a legal enumeration for that function. This is given only for local problems; if the spec allows the enumeration in certain circumstances, where other parameters or state dictate those circumstances, then GL_INVALID_OPERATION is the result instead.

GL_INVALID_VALUE, 0x0501

Given when a value parameter is not a legal value for that function. This is only given for local problems; if the spec allows the value in certain circumstances, where other parameters or state dictate those circumstances, then GL_INVALID_OPERATION is the result instead.

GL_INVALID_OPERATION, 0x0502

Given when the set of state for a command is not legal for the parameters given to that command. It is also given for commands where combinations of parameters define what the legal parameters are.

GL_STACK_OVERFLOW, 0x0503

Given when a stack pushing operation cannot be done because it would overflow the limit of that stack's size.

GL_STACK_UNDERFLOW, 0x0504

Given when a stack popping operation cannot be done because the stack is already at its lowest point.

GL_OUT_OF_MEMORY, 0x0505

Given when performing an operation that can allocate memory, and the memory cannot be allocated. The results of OpenGL functions that return this error are undefined; it is allowable for partial operations to happen.

GL_INVALID_FRAMEBUFFER_OPERATION, 0x0506

Given when doing anything that would attempt to read from or write/render to a framebuffer that is not complete.

GL_CONTEXT_LOST, 0x0507 (with OpenGL 4.5 or ARB_KHR_robustness)

Given if the OpenGL context has been lost, due to a graphics card reset.

GL_TABLE_TOO_LARGE¹, 0x8031

Part of the ARB_imaging extension.

¹: These error codes are deprecated in 3.0 and removed in 3.1 core and above.

In the OpenGL Reference documentation, most errors are listed explicitly. However, GL_OUT_OF_MEMORY and GL_CONTEXT_LOST could be generated by virtually any OpenGL function. And they can be generated for reasons not directly associated with that particular function call.

Side effects

Under most circumstances, a function that generates an error will exit without changing any OpenGL state or initiating any OpenGL operations. They will not modify any client memory passed into those functions by the user (ie: pointer arguments). Under such errors, return values are zero or something equally innocuous. However, there are certain circumstances were an error happens and OpenGL state is modified.

Whenever the GL_OUT_OF_MEMORY error is generated, the state of the OpenGL context and/or objects is undefined.

The GL_CONTEXT_LOST error is generated (which requires OpenGL 4.5 or ARB_KHR_robustness) by any commands after the OpenGL context was lost. Those commands have no side effects, with a few special-case exceptions for functions that can block the CPU.

The multi-bind functions functions have unusual error properties. Because they aggregate the ability to bind multiple objects at once, if the binding of one object fails with an error, the others will be bound as normal. Only the erronous objects will fail to bind. Note that there is no way to detect which objects failed to bind (other than querying the context for each binding point).