2003-2004 Silicon Graphics, Inc.
glBufferData 3G
glBufferData creates and initializes a buffer object's data store.

## C Specification

void `glBufferData` GLenum target GLsizeiptr size const GLvoid * data GLenum usage

## Parameters

target

  Specifies the target buffer object. The symbolic constant must be `GL_ARRAY_BUFFER` or `GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER`.

size

  Specifies the size in bytes of the buffer object's new data store.

data

  Specifies a pointer to data that will be copied into the data store for initialization, or `NULL` if no data is to be copied.

usage

  Specifies the expected usage pattern of the data store. The symbolic constant must be `GL_STATIC_DRAW` or `GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW`.

## Description

`glBufferData` creates a new data store for the buffer object currently bound to target. Any pre-existing data store is deleted. The new data store is created with the specified size in bytes and usage. If data is not `NULL`, the data store is initialized with data from this pointer.

usage is a hint to the GL implementation as to how a buffer object's data store will be accessed. This enables the GL implementation to make more intelligent decisions that may significantly impact buffer object performance. It does not, however, constrain the actual usage of the data store.

usage may be one of these:

`GL_STATIC_DRAW`

  The data store contents will be modified once and used many times as the source for GL drawing commands.

`GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW`

  The data store contents will be modified repeatedly and used many times as the source for GL drawing commands.

## Notes

If data is `NULL`, a data store of the specified size is still created, but its contents remain uninitialized and thus undefined.

Clients must align data elements consistent with the requirements of the client platform, with an additional base-level requirement that an offset within a buffer to a datum comprising N bytes be a multiple of N.

## Errors

`GL_INVALID_ENUM` is generated if target is not `GL_ARRAY_BUFFER` or `GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER`.

`GL_INVALID_ENUM` is generated if usage is not `GL_STATIC_DRAW` or `GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW`.

`GL_INVALID_VALUE` is generated if size is negative.

`GL_INVALID_OPERATION` is generated if the reserved buffer object name 0 is bound to target.

`GL_OUT_OF_MEMORY` is generated if the GL is unable to create a data store with the specified size.

## Associated Gets

glGetBufferParameteriv with argument `GL_BUFFER_SIZE` or `GL_BUFFER_USAGE`

## See Also

glBufferSubData, glBindBuffer

## Copyright

Copyright 2003-2004 Silicon Graphics, Inc. This document is licensed under the SGI Free Software B License. For details, see http://oss.sgi.com/projects/FreeB/.