glLinkProgram — Links a program object
| void glLinkProgram( | GLuint program ); | 
program
                
              
            Specifies the handle of the program object to be linked.
glLinkProgram links the program
    object specified by program. If any
    shader objects of type GL_VERTEX_SHADER are
    attached to program, they will be used to
    create an executable that will run on the programmable vertex
    processor. If any shader objects of type GL_GEOMETRY_SHADER
    are attached to program, they will be used to create
    an executable that will run on the programmable geometry processor.
    If any shader objects of type
    GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER are attached to
    program, they will be used to create an
    executable that will run on the programmable fragment
    processor.
The status of the link operation will be stored as part of
    the program object's state. This value will be set to
    GL_TRUE if the program object was linked
    without errors and is ready for use, and
    GL_FALSE otherwise. It can be queried by
    calling
    glGetProgram
    with arguments program and
    GL_LINK_STATUS.
As a result of a successful link operation, all active
    user-defined uniform variables belonging to
    program will be initialized to 0, and
    each of the program object's active uniform variables will be
    assigned a location that can be queried by calling
    glGetUniformLocation.
    Also, any active user-defined attribute variables that have not
    been bound to a generic vertex attribute index will be bound to
    one at this time.
Linking of a program object can fail for a number of reasons as specified in the OpenGL Shading Language Specification. The following lists some of the conditions that will cause a link error.
The number of active attribute variables supported by the implementation has been exceeded.
The storage limit for uniform variables has been exceeded.
The number of active uniform variables supported by the implementation has been exceeded.
The main function is missing
        for the vertex, geometry or fragment shader.
A varying variable actually used in the fragment shader is not declared in the same way (or is not declared at all) in the vertex shader, or geometry shader if present.
A reference to a function or variable name is unresolved.
A shared global is declared with two different types or two different initial values.
One or more of the attached shader objects has not been successfully compiled.
Binding a generic attribute matrix caused some
        rows of the matrix to fall outside the allowed maximum
        of GL_MAX_VERTEX_ATTRIBS.
Not enough contiguous vertex attribute slots could be found to bind attribute matrices.
The program object contains objects to form a fragment shader but does not contain objects to form a vertex shader.
The program object contains objects to form a geometry shader but does not contain objects to form a vertex shader.
The program object contains objects to form a geometry shader and the input primitive type, output primitive type, or maximum output vertex count is not specified in any compiled geometry shader object.
The program object contains objects to form a geometry shader and the input primitive type, output primitive type, or maximum output vertex count is specified differently in multiple geometry shader objects.
The number of active outputs in the fragment shader is greater
        than the value of GL_MAX_DRAW_BUFFERS.
The program has an active output assigned to a location greater
        than or equal to the value of GL_MAX_DUAL_SOURCE_DRAW_BUFFERS
        and has an active output assigned an index greater than or equal to one.
More than one varying out variable is bound to the same number and index.
The explicit binding assigments do not leave enough space for the linker to automatically assign a location for a varying out array, which requires multiple contiguous locations.
The count specified by glTransformFeedbackVaryings
        is non-zero, but the program object has no vertex or geometry shader.
Any variable name specified to glTransformFeedbackVaryings
        in the varyings array is not declared as an output in the vertex shader (or the geometry shader, if active).
Any two entries in the varyings array given
        glTransformFeedbackVaryings
        specify the same varying variable.
The total number of components to capture in any transform feedback varying variable
        is  greater  than  the  constant GL_MAX_TRANSFORM_FEEDBACK_SEPARATE_COMPONENTS
        and the buffer mode is GL_SEPARATE_ATTRIBS.
When a program object has been successfully linked, the program object can be made part of current state by calling glUseProgram. Whether or not the link operation was successful, the program object's information log will be overwritten. The information log can be retrieved by calling glGetProgramInfoLog.
glLinkProgram will also install the
    generated executables as part of the current rendering state if
    the link operation was successful and the specified program
    object is already currently in use as a result of a previous
    call to
    glUseProgram.
    If the program object currently in use is relinked
    unsuccessfully, its link status will be set to
    GL_FALSE , but the executables and
    associated state will remain part of the current state until a
    subsequent call to glUseProgram removes it
    from use. After it is removed from use, it cannot be made part
    of current state until it has been successfully relinked.
If program contains shader objects
    of type GL_VERTEX_SHADER, and optionally of type GL_GEOMETRY_SHADER,
    but does not contain shader objects of type
    GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER, the vertex shader executable will
    be installed on the programmable vertex processor, the geometry shader executable, if present,
    will be installed on the programmable geometry processor, but no executable will
    be installed on the fragment processor. The results of
    rasterizing primitives with such a program will be undefined.
The program object's information log is updated and the program is generated at the time of the link operation. After the link operation, applications are free to modify attached shader objects, compile attached shader objects, detach shader objects, delete shader objects, and attach additional shader objects. None of these operations affects the information log or the program that is part of the program object.
If the link operation is unsuccessful, any information about a previous link operation on program
    is lost (i.e., a failed link does not restore the old state of program
    ). Certain information can still be retrieved from program
    even after an unsuccessful link operation. See for instance glGetActiveAttrib
    and glGetActiveUniform.
GL_INVALID_VALUE
    is generated if program
    is not a value generated by OpenGL.
GL_INVALID_OPERATION
    is generated if program
    is not a program object.
GL_INVALID_OPERATION
    is generated if program is the currently active program
    object and transform feedback mode is active.
glGet
    with the argument GL_CURRENT_PROGRAM
glGetActiveAttrib
    with argument program
    and the index of an active attribute variable
glGetActiveUniform
    with argument program
    and the index of an active uniform variable
glGetAttachedShaders
    with argument program
glGetAttribLocation
    with argument program
    and an attribute variable name
glGetProgram
    with arguments program
    and GL_LINK_STATUS
glGetProgramInfoLog
    with argument program
glGetUniform
    with argument program
    and a uniform variable location
glGetUniformLocation
    with argument program
    and a uniform variable name
| OpenGL Version | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Function / Feature Name | 2.0 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 
| glLinkProgram | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 
glAttachShader, glBindAttribLocation, glCompileShader, glCreateProgram, glDeleteProgram, glDetachShader, glUniform, glUseProgram, glValidateProgram
Copyright © 2003-2005 3Dlabs Inc. Ltd. 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. https://opencontent.org/openpub/.