Choosing the best OpenGL® book depends on the type of application being developed, the operating system and programming language used, and the depth of information needed. Books for learning the API should cover library installation and programming in multiple languages. Advanced programmers may benefit from official reference manuals, but they should be used in conjunction with other books. Specific topic books can be helpful, but they should be up-to-date and avoid using outdated tools or programs.
There are many OpenGL® books available, ranging from introductory tutorials for learning OpenGL® to very detailed library and abstract programming interface (API) specifications. Several factors can determine which books are best for a particular OpenGL® project, including the actual type of application being developed. Important facts to consider when choosing the best OpenGL® books are the operating system used for development and the programming language that will be used. The type of application also matters, because programming three-dimensional (3D) graphics for a video game is very different from writing a program to be used for scientific visualization. The depth of information needed should also be considered because, for example, some books will not cover how to use the OpenGL® shading language, while others may provide very in-depth coverage of developing a scene graph where it is not needed.
One of the most common uses of OpenGL® books is to learn programming with the library and API. While the core library should be identical for different languages and operating systems, in practice this is not always the case. When looking for the best OpenGL® books for learning the API, it’s important to choose books that cover using and installing the libraries on your operating system, and those that only cover programming in a single language or that they provide more examples of different languages.
For advanced programmers, or programmers who regularly work with OpenGL®, some of the best OpenGL® books are the specifications and reference manuals published by the developers of the libraries and API. These books provide very detailed information on how the language is put together, how it should be used, and some of the limitations that are coded. However, these references don’t always include actual programming examples and are generally used in tandem with other books. Another aspect of official reference manuals is that they sometimes don’t detail real-world inconsistencies between library implementations.
A number of OpenGL® books are devoted to specific topics and can be used in conjunction with reference manuals and tutorial books. These include books that explain how to assemble fully operational applications around an OpenGL® rendering core, or books that provide in-depth details on new language features. When choosing books that provide such extensive examples, it’s important to make sure they’re up to date and allow you to keep up with API changes. Another reason to find books that aren’t too old is that they sometimes use developer tools or other programs that have fallen out of use or been discontinued entirely.
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