> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://desertcookie.gitbook.io/glfw-in-a-nutshell/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://desertcookie.gitbook.io/glfw-in-a-nutshell/master.md). # About GLFW ## What is GLFW? GLFW is short for Graphics Library Framework. It provides a simple API for creating and handling windows and contexts, and receiving input. The project is open source and supports all major operating systems. It has built-in support for industry-standard rendering APIs like OpenGL and Vulkan, and can be used in virtually any programming language, thanks to more than thirty open-source bindings. More information about GLFW can be found on [glfw.org](https://www.glfw.org). The website houses an active [forum](https://discourse.glfw.org), as well as superb [documentation](https://www.glfw.org/documentation.html). Examples and source code of GLFW can be found in the official [GitHub repository](https://github.com/glfw/glfw). ## History of GLFW In GLFW's [version history](https://www.glfw.org/changelog.html) releases date back to February 2002, with the release of version 2.0. For more than ten years, GLFW 2 was the most up-to-date version and saw small improvements and additions from version to version. During this time, in 2006, ownership of the project passed from Marcus Geelnard to Camilla Löwy. At this point, a total of 312 commits had been made to the GitHub repository. Version 2.7.9, released in June of 2013, should be the last release of GLFW 2, which is now referred to as GLFW Legacy and is still available on [GitHub](https://github.com/glfw/glfw-legacy). GLFW 3 had been worked on alongside GLFW 2 for nearly two years in the background and was subsequently released the same month, as version 2.7.9 was. It introduced support for multiple windows and monitors, as well as added better error handling. GLFW 3 releases were much more frequent and feature-rich, compared to GLFW 2 releases, thanks to a growing community that happily contributed on GitHub. With version 3.2 in 2016, initial support for Vulkan was added, which was refined in 2019 with version 3.3, which brought support for Vulkan on macOS via MoltenVK. As of October 2019, nearly 4,000 commits have been made to the [official repository](https://github.com/glfw/glfw); more than one hundred and eighty people are credited in the official readme. To dive deeper into the history of GLFW, I recommend the [news archive](https://glfw.org/news.html), available on the official website. ## Link Collection * [GLFW Homepage](https://www.glfw.org) * [GLFW on GitHub](https://github.com/glfw) * [HTML documentation](https://www.glfw.org/docs/latest/) * [List of community bindings and frameworks](https://www.glfw.org/community.html) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://desertcookie.gitbook.io/glfw-in-a-nutshell/master.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.