The OpenGL Graphics System: A Specification

2.2. GL STATE 6
Finally, command names, constants, and types are prefixed in the GL (by gl,
GL , and GL, respectively in C) to reduce name clashes with other packages. The
prefixes are omitted in this document for clarity.
2.1.1 Floating-Point Computation
The GL must perform a number of floating-point operations during the course of
its operation. We do not specify how floating-point numbers are to be represented
or how operations on them are to be performed. We require simply that numbers’
floating-point parts contain enough bits and that their exponent fields are large
enough so that individual results of floating-point operations are accurate to about
1 part in 10 5 . The maximum representable magnitude of a floating-point number
used to represent positional, normal, or texture coordinates must be at least 2 32 ;
the maximum representable magnitude for colors must be at least 2 10 . The maximum
representable magnitude for all other floating-point values must be at least
2 32 . x · 0 = 0 · x = 0 for any non-infinite and non-NaN x. 1 · x = x · 1 = x.
x + 0 = 0 + x = x. 0 0 = 1. (Occasionally further requirements will be specified.)
Most single-precision floating-point formats meet these requirements.
Any representable floating-point value is legal as input to a GL command that
requires floating-point data. The result of providing a value that is not a floatingpoint
number to such a command is unspecified, but must not lead to GL interruption
or termination. In IEEE arithmetic, for example, providing a negative zero or a
denormalized number to a GL command yields predictable results, while providing
a NaN or an infinity yields unspecified results.
Some calculations require division. In such cases (including implied divisions
required by vector normalizations), a division by zero produces an unspecified result
but must not lead to GL interruption or termination.
2.2 GL State
The GL maintains considerable state. This document enumerates each state variable
and describes how each variable can be changed. For purposes of discussion,
state variables are categorized somewhat arbitrarily by their function. Although we
describe the operations that the GL performs on the framebuffer, the framebuffer
is not a part of GL state.
We distinguish two types of state. The first type of state, called GL server
state, resides in the GL server. The majority of GL state falls into this category.
The second type of state, called GL client state, resides in the GL client. Unless
otherwise specified, all state referred to in this document is GL server state; GL
Version 2.0 - October 22, 2004