Glsl

+GLSL (OpenGL Shading Language) is a high-level shading language designed for the [OpenGL](/wiki/OpenGL) API. It empowers developers to directly program the [GPU](/wiki/GPU) for real-time rendering, dictating how pixels appear and vertices transform on screen. GLSL is crucial for achieving modern visual effects, from complex lighting and shadows to post-processing effects and realistic material rendering.

+## Shader Types

+GLSL programs are typically composed of different types of shaders, each performing a specific task within the rendering pipeline:

+- **[Vertex Shader](/wiki/Vertex_Shader)**: Processes individual vertices. It can modify vertex positions, normals, and texture coordinates, transforming 3D models into 2D coordinates on the screen.

+- **[Fragment Shader](/wiki/Fragment_Shader)**: Processes individual "fragments" (potential pixels). It determines the final color, depth, and other properties of a pixel based on interpolated data from the vertex shader, textures, and uniform variables. This is where lighting calculations, texture mapping, and color blending often occur.

+Here's a small example of a GLSL fragment shader that outputs a red color:

+```glsl

+#version 330 core // Specify the GLSL version

+out vec4 FragColor; // The output color for the fragment

+void main()

+GLSL (OpenGL Shading Language) is a high-level shading language designed for the [OpenGL](/wiki/OpenGL) API. It empowers developers to directly program the [GPU](/wiki/GPU) for real-time rendering, dictating how pixels appear and vertices transform on screen.

+## See also

+- [Vulkan](/wiki/Vulkan)

+- [DirectX](/wiki/DirectX)

+- [Shader](/wiki/Shader)