Display lists are groups of GL commands that have been stored for subsequent execution. Display lists are created with glNewList. All subsequent commands are placed in the display list, in the order issued, until glEndList is called. glNewList has two arguments. The first argument, list, is a positive integer that becomes the unique name for the display list. Names can be created and reserved with glGenLists and tested for uniqueness with glIsList. The second argument, mode, is a symbolic constant that can assume one of two values: Certain commands are not compiled into the display list but are executed immediately, regardless of the display-list mode. These commands are glAreTexturesResident, glColorPointer, glDeleteLists, glDeleteTextures, glDisableClientState, glEdgeFlagPointer, glEnableClientState, glFeedbackBuffer, glFinish, glFlush, glGenLists, glGenTextures, glIndexPointer, glInterleavedArrays, glIsEnabled, glIsList, glIsTexture, glNormalPointer, glPopClientAttrib, glPixelStore, glPushClientAttrib, glReadPixels, glRenderMode, glSelectBuffer, glTexCoordPointer, glVertexPointer, and all of the glGet commands. Similarly, glTexImage1D, glTexImage2D, and glTexImage3D are executed immediately and not compiled into the display list when their first argument is GL_PROXY_TEXTURE_1D, GL_PROXY_TEXTURE_1D, or GL_PROXY_TEXTURE_3D, respectively. When the ARB_imaging extension is supported, glHistogram executes immediately when its argument is GL_PROXY_HISTOGRAM. Similarly, glColorTable executes immediately when its first argument is GL_PROXY_COLOR_TABLE, GL_PROXY_POST_CONVOLUTION_COLOR_TABLE, or GL_PROXY_POST_COLOR_MATRIX_COLOR_TABLE. For OpenGL versions 1.3 and greater, or when the ARB_multitexture extension is supported, glClientActiveTexture is not compiled into display lists, but executed immediately. When glEndList is encountered, the display-list definition is completed by associating the list with the unique name list (specified in the glNewList command). If a display list with name list already exists, it is replaced only when glEndList is called.
glCallList and glCallLists can be entered into display lists. Commands in the display list or lists executed by glCallList or glCallLists are not included in the display list being created, even if the list creation mode is GL_COMPILE_AND_EXECUTE. A display list is just a group of commands and arguments, so errors generated by commands in a display list must be generated when the list is executed. If the list is created in GL_COMPILE mode, errors are not generated until the list is executed.
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glNewList: man2/glNewList.xml
Display lists are groups of GL commands that have been stored for subsequent execution. Display lists are created with glNewList. All subsequent commands are placed in the display list, in the order issued, until glEndList is called. glNewList has two arguments. The first argument, list, is a positive integer that becomes the unique name for the display list. Names can be created and reserved with glGenLists and tested for uniqueness with glIsList. The second argument, mode, is a symbolic constant that can assume one of two values: Certain commands are not compiled into the display list but are executed immediately, regardless of the display-list mode. These commands are glAreTexturesResident, glColorPointer, glDeleteLists, glDeleteTextures, glDisableClientState, glEdgeFlagPointer, glEnableClientState, glFeedbackBuffer, glFinish, glFlush, glGenLists, glGenTextures, glIndexPointer, glInterleavedArrays, glIsEnabled, glIsList, glIsTexture, glNormalPointer, glPopClientAttrib, glPixelStore, glPushClientAttrib, glReadPixels, glRenderMode, glSelectBuffer, glTexCoordPointer, glVertexPointer, and all of the glGet commands. Similarly, glTexImage1D, glTexImage2D, and glTexImage3D are executed immediately and not compiled into the display list when their first argument is GL_PROXY_TEXTURE_1D, GL_PROXY_TEXTURE_1D, or GL_PROXY_TEXTURE_3D, respectively. When the ARB_imaging extension is supported, glHistogram executes immediately when its argument is GL_PROXY_HISTOGRAM. Similarly, glColorTable executes immediately when its first argument is GL_PROXY_COLOR_TABLE, GL_PROXY_POST_CONVOLUTION_COLOR_TABLE, or GL_PROXY_POST_COLOR_MATRIX_COLOR_TABLE. For OpenGL versions 1.3 and greater, or when the ARB_multitexture extension is supported, glClientActiveTexture is not compiled into display lists, but executed immediately. When glEndList is encountered, the display-list definition is completed by associating the list with the unique name list (specified in the glNewList command). If a display list with name list already exists, it is replaced only when glEndList is called.
glCallList and glCallLists can be entered into display lists. Commands in the display list or lists executed by glCallList or glCallLists are not included in the display list being created, even if the list creation mode is GL_COMPILE_AND_EXECUTE. A display list is just a group of commands and arguments, so errors generated by commands in a display list must be generated when the list is executed. If the list is created in GL_COMPILE mode, errors are not generated until the list is executed.