Lightweight Java Game Library
Encyclopedia
The Lightweight Java Game Library (LWJGL) is an open source
Java
software library for computer game developers.
LWJGL exposes high performance cross-platform
libraries
commonly used in developing software games and multimedia titles. It exposes OpenGL
(Open Graphics Library), OpenAL
(Open Audio Library), OpenCL
(Open Computing Language) and allows access to controllers such as gamepads, steering wheels and joysticks in a platform-neutral way.
The primary goal of the project is to provide a technology which allows Java developers to get access to resources that are otherwise unavailable or poorly implemented on the existing Java platform. The main philosophy is to expose underlying technology as a thin wrapper, thus creating a simple API
. It is also the basis of many java game engines and libraries.
LWJGL is available under a BSD license
, which means it's open source
and freely available
.
The current version is 2.8.1, which was released on 15th October 2011.
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
software library for computer game developers.
LWJGL exposes high performance cross-platform
Cross-platform
In computing, cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms...
libraries
Library (computer science)
In computer science, a library is a collection of resources used to develop software. These may include pre-written code and subroutines, classes, values or type specifications....
commonly used in developing software games and multimedia titles. It exposes OpenGL
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
(Open Graphics Library), OpenAL
OpenAL
OpenAL is a cross-platform audio API. It is designed for efficient rendering of multichannel three dimensional positional audio. Its API style and conventions deliberately resemble those of OpenGL.- History :...
(Open Audio Library), OpenCL
OpenCL
OpenCL is a framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous platforms consisting of CPUs, GPUs, and other processors. OpenCL includes a language for writing kernels , plus APIs that are used to define and then control the platforms...
(Open Computing Language) and allows access to controllers such as gamepads, steering wheels and joysticks in a platform-neutral way.
The primary goal of the project is to provide a technology which allows Java developers to get access to resources that are otherwise unavailable or poorly implemented on the existing Java platform. The main philosophy is to expose underlying technology as a thin wrapper, thus creating a simple API
Application programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
. It is also the basis of many java game engines and libraries.
LWJGL is available under a BSD license
BSD licenses
BSD licenses are a family of permissive free software licenses. The original license was used for the Berkeley Software Distribution , a Unix-like operating system after which it is named....
, which means it's open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
and freely available
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
.
The current version is 2.8.1, which was released on 15th October 2011.
See also
- Java OpenGLJava OpenGLJava OpenGL is a wrapper library that allows OpenGL to be used in the Java programming language. It was originally developed by Kenneth Bradley Russell and Christopher John Kline, and was further developed by the Sun Microsystems Game Technology Group. Since 2010, it has been an independent open...
, another wrapper library that allows OpenGL to be used in Java programming language
External links
- lwjgl.org - Home of the Lightweight Java Game Library
- [irc://chat.freenode.net/lwjgl LWJGL IRC Channel]
- LWJGL IRC logs