A WebGL browser interprets WebGL code to render advanced 3D graphics faster and more cost-effectively than plug-ins or compiled programs. It links JavaScript® to a low-level graphics library and uses the HTML5 canvas element. The OpenGL ES® libraries used are lightweight, but some hardware and drivers may not support WebGL. Security concerns exist due to direct access to graphics card code.
A WebGL browser is a program designed not only to view online HyperText Markup Language (HTML), JavaScript®, and basic Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) documents, but also to interpret the special subset of these specifications known as WebGL. Technically, WebGL is not a standalone language but a graphics library that uses the canvas element of the browser’s rendering engine to bridge the WebGL code, graphics hardware, and browser. This gives a WebGL browser the ability to render advanced three-dimensional (3D) graphics much faster than would otherwise be possible using other types of plug-ins, and more cost-effectively than using separately compiled programs at the same time. inside of the browser. Nearly all major web browsers support WebGL natively, although browsers that do not implement native support usually have third-party plug-ins that expose the necessary HTML components. While a WebGL browser is capable of rendering 3D graphics quickly due to the direct access it provides to a computer graphics card, this is also the source of potentially large security holes that could allow a malicious program to run malicious code on a remote computer.
In essence, a WebGL browser contains code that specifically links functions included in a graphics library so that they can be accessed via JavaScript®. In the standard version of the HTML 5 language (HTML5), there is a special element known as a canvas which can be used to draw directly on an area of the screen without having to use plug-ins or to work with HTML or CSS tags which may not be accurate as requested. Within a WebGL compliant browser, JavaScript® is mapped to a low-level graphics library and draws directly on the HTML5 canvas element, providing a platform for graphics that can be pushed directly from a graphics card to a display device .
The libraries used are the OpenGL® Embedded System Libraries (OpenGL ES®), which are a subset of the standard OpenGL® library functions designed to work with mobile devices. One of the reasons a WebGL browser is possible is the lightweight nature of the WebGL libraries, which do not consume large amounts of resources and do not contain some of the more processor-intensive features of the full OpenGL® implementation. A recurring problem with a WebGL browser, however, is that the drivers and hardware on a computer or device must be capable of running an OpenGL ES® application. Some operating systems, devices, hardware, and even drivers lack the capabilities to run a WebGL program, and also lack an easy fix other than replacing the installed graphics hardware.
Major security and safety concerns with a WebGL browser have prevented some major browser developers from fully implementing support for WebGL. This mostly boils down to the direct access the browser provides to the WebGL code. When used maliciously, the graphics card can be manipulated to cause damage via the host system or, in the worst case scenario, it can be used as a gateway to execute or install malicious code.
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