VKEXTdebugreport

VK_EXT_debug_report is a Vulkan API extension that provides a mechanism for the Vulkan implementation and its validation layers to report diagnostic messages to an application. It is intended to aid debugging and development by delivering errors, warnings, and information about Vulkan operations to the application.

The extension defines a callback-based interface. Developers register a debug report callback using vkCreateDebugReportCallbackEXT, specifying which message severities and types they want to receive. Message severities include information, warning, performance warning, error, and debug. Each message carries details such as a message code, a layer prefix, an object type and handle, a location, and a human-readable message. Applications can also explicitly emit a message with vkDebugReportMessageEXT. The callback type is VkDebugReportCallbackEXT, and the interface is retrieved via extension entry points that must be loaded at runtime (often with vkGetInstanceProcAddr).

Usage and behavior. The extension is typically enabled during instance creation, and the registered callback is invoked by the validation layers and Vulkan implementation when relevant events occur. This allows developers to surface diagnostic information directly in their application, log it, or filter it as needed during debugging. As a development aid, it is commonly used in conjunction with validation layers to catch incorrect usage and potential issues early.

History and status. VK_EXT_debug_report was introduced as an early debugging aid for Vulkan and remains available for compatibility with older code paths and tooling. In modern practice, many developers use the newer VK_EXT_debug_utils extension, which provides a more flexible and structured messaging system, though VK_EXT_debug_report continues to be supported for legacy workflows. See also: VK_EXT_debug_utils, Vulkan, validation layers.